As marijuana becomes more acceptable in society, it’s important to realize what kind of effects the substance has on your pet. It’s possible for your pet to be under the influence of marijuana in a couple of different ways. These ways include ingesting it by eating, or inhaling second-hand smoke.

Marijuana affects dogs differently when compared to the effects humans experience. It isn’t just that dogs feel the same effects to a greater extent, THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) has a different effect on their biological functions.

When a dog ingests marijuana, a few different things can happen: the dog may get woozy, vomit, urinate involuntarily, and in some extreme cases, marijuana can cause seizures, comas and even death. During a study done in 2002, 250 cases of marijuana ingestion were reported to the ASPCA and two deaths resulted in those cases. While death is not a common occurrence, it shows that marijuana and pets are not something to take lightly.

Some people think it’s funny to get their dog high, but they probably don’t realize what the dog  is going through. It isn’t just the physical effects that damage the dog, mentally the dog doesn’t know what’s happening. The dog becomes fearful and scared when under the influence, even if just from second-hand smoke. It may look cute, but the amount of mental and physical damage to your dog is not worth the risk.

As the stock market falls, people are looking for new ways to boost the economy. One way people are talking about is legalizing marijuana. This may or may not actually help our country’s financial situation, but either way, it’s making the drug more main stream. If your one of the people who believes it’s okay to partake in smoking the substance, just make sure to keep it out of reach from your dog.