Study: Milk from Dairy Cows Fed Hemp Biomass is Cannabinoid-Free After 12 Days

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that when dairy cows were fed spent hemp biomass products, cannabinoids, including THC, were undetectable in milk after a 12-day withdrawal period, but THC remained detectable in the cows’ fat tissue for up to 30 days after the withdrawal period.

Hemp biomass is the organic material (stalks, leaves, stems, and roots) of the hemp plant, often left over after harvesting flowers and seeds.

The Oregon State University researchers also found that CBD and CBD-acid remained detectable in the plasma of cows after calving (90 days after withdrawal from spent hemp biomass); however, when hemp biomass was withdrawn from the cows’ diet, the risk of ingesting THC by drinking milk from the cows was eliminated after two weeks.

The researchers note that despite “having an excellent nutritional profile,” spent hemp biomass cannot be legally used as a livestock feed ingredient due to the presence of THC, which could pose a risk to consumers due to accumulation in the products produced by the animals.

Earlier this month, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) backed using hemp seed meal – which are hemp seeds ground into meal with some fat removed – as an animal feed. However, the Hemp Feed Coalition noted that “the regulatory path to market for hemp feed remains riddled with bureaucratic obstacles.” The AAFCO publication did not include hemp biomass.