A new study administered by a Colorado veterinarian reports the number of canines sickened by ingesting medical marijuana has quadrupled in Colorado since medical pot was legalized there in 2000. 
 
Dr. Stacy Meola, a vet at an animal clinic in Wheat Ridge, oversaw the five-year study that found the number of dogs that have consumed medical pot being brought into vet clinics in Colorado has increased from a few times a year to up to five times a week. It stands to reason that with greater access to marijuana among the general public there are going to be more incidents of accidental consumption by domesticated animals. 
 
Fortunately, the vast majority of dogs survive erroneous ingestion of so-called “medibles” – medical marijuana that is baked into an edible product – but the experience can result in a loss of “fine motor skills” in animals along with disorientation for a prolonged period of time. Documented symptoms in animals consuming pot include staggering, sleepiness, vomiting, and oversensitivity to external stimuli (sound and light). 
 
The study found two Labradors died after consuming canna-butter, which of course is tragic, but the mainstream media coverage devoted to the subject gave the impression that even the slightest contact with cannabis would be fatal to a household pet and that such animals were dropping like flies in those states with legal medical marijuana.
 
There is also another issue at hand – that of people intentionally dosing their dogs with medibles. Of course, that practice is completely reprehensible and should not be tolerated whether it involves medical or recreational marijuana. Medical pot patients with dogs and cats in their residences should take extra caution that any four-legged members of the family don't have access whatsoever to baked pot products.  
 
More @ denver.cbslocal.com & www.dailymail.co.uk