The History of Medicinal Cannabis Hemp used to treat Horses Green Geo 29.12.2013
Medical marijuana Cannabis for dogs and cats
is one thing.
But medical marijuana for horses!?
Yes, it’s true and it’s not a new concept in
veterinary medicine.
Cannabis has been used as a medical remedy
for horses across the globe and the sands of
time.
From the ancient Greeks to modern-day
farriers and horse owners, marijuana has been
widely employed to successfully address a
range of medical problems.
There are numerous historical references to
cannabis being used for sedation and as an
adjunct to anaesthesia in equine medicine.
Cannabis in Greek & Roman Cultures
Greek writers reported the use of cannabis in
treating horses–especially for dressing sores
and wounds–and in treating humans.
Here we find the dried leaves used against
nosebleed and the seeds used against
tapeworms, but the most frequently
mentioned treatment involves steeping the
green seeds in a liquid such as water or a
variety of wine, then pressing out the liquid,
which when warmed was instilled into the ear
as a remedy for pains and inflammations
associated with blockages.
According to a collection of horse-remedies
known as the “Berlin Hippiatrica”, the
chopped leaves can be used to dress a wound:
first some vinegar and pitch are brought to a
full rolling boil, then wax, mustard, wheat-
chaff, and roasted pine-resin are added, and
the resulting mixture (presumably cooled) is
applied liberally, then chopped cannabis
leaves and grass trimmings are put on top
before the wound is bound.
Another
collection,
the
“Cambridge
Hippiatrica,” offers a recipe for the treatment
of tapeworms which is identical to the one
cited above from pseudo-Galen “On ready
remedies”
Overview of Potential Equine Therapeutic
Applications for Cannabis
• Used in a poultice (medicated bandage)
to treat skin wounds
• Fresh leaves were used to dress horses’
sores, dried ones against nosebleed.
• A seed-based remedy used to treat
tapeworms in horses
• Used to treat colic and other
gastrointestinal disorders
A Remedy for Equine
Colic? Until relatively
recently, cannabis was
found in a large
number of veterinary
medications designed
to
treat
colic,
spasmodic colon and
other ailments in
equine patients. The
bottles of some of
these drugs survive to
provide
us
with
evidence
of
the
therapeutic benefits of
this ubiquitous plant.