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Transfer of THC and THC metabolite
Project
Project code: BfR-SiN-08-1322-635
Contract period: 01.04.2015
- 31.12.2017
Purpose of research: Applied research
In 2015 forty-nine hemp species were allowed for cultivation in Germany. For their admission as industrial hemp they have to be listed in the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species and should have a maximum THC-level of 0,2%. Cultivation of the species Carmagnola and Bialobrzeskie is forbidden in 2015 because their THC-content passes the maximum permissible level. By-products of the production of hemp fibre can be used as litter. Hemp and its products can be used for animal nutrition. The transfer of THC into breast milk and the milk of different animal species is known. Study results about the transfer of THC from feed containing industrial hemp in milk are rare. On the one hand, data for the calculation of a transfer-rate or for examining the long-term elimination is missing. On the other hand, common analysis measures psychoactive THC as well as non-psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). Therefore the real content of psychoactive THC in feed containing hemp and milk is not known. The aim of the study is to determine a transfer-rate from feed containing industrial hemp into dairy milk and to examine the long-term elimination of THC into milk after accumulation in fatty tissue. For this purpose industrial hemp should be fed to dairy cows and the transfer of THC and its metabolites in the milk should be examined. THC will be quantified without his non-psychoactive precursor THCA. On the other hand, current data do not allow a realistic assessment of the consumers risk by the consumption of milk, which was produced by using feed containing hemp. Especially in susceptible groups of consumers (infants, children, pregnant woman) health problems can’t be excluded. The study will be followed by a risk assessment and recommendations for the consumption of this milk and its products.
n a feeding-study the transfer of THC and its congeners and metabolites from feed containing industrial hemp into the milk of dairy cows should be investigated. The samples should be collected in connection with the project “Transfer of THC and THC-metabolites from feed containing industrial hemp products in cow’s milk”, which is submitted for 2017. The Chemisches Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Münsterland-Emscher-Lippe (CVUA-MEL) will process the samples and analyze the content of THC, THCA, 11-OH-THC, 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-THC, CBD, CBN, CBDV and THCV. The method for the chemical analysis of THC, its metabolites and other THC-congeners in feed and milk was developed by the CVUA-MEL in the research project „Transfer of THC and THC-metabolites from feed containing industrial hemp products in cow’s milk“, which was submitted for 2016. Within the framework the 2016-pilot study one dairy cow was fed with feed containing industrial hemp and the cannabinoid content of its milk was analyzed. It could be shown that the use of feed containing hemp for dairy cows poses a possible health risk for the consumer that is drinking such milk and for the dairy cows. Furthermore there is evidence that the use of the official method for determining the content of total-THC in hemp plants results in underestimation of the content in comparison to the CVUA-MEL-method. The planned project for 2017 should generate statistically sufficient data, which supports the findings of the pilot study. Subsequently the data should be used to improve the risk assessment for the use of industrial hemp and its products as feed for food producing animals with regard to consumer health aspects.
Section overview
Subjects
- Animal health
- Animal nutrition
- Toxicology
