Performing Department
Animal & Rangeland Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Our long-term goal is to implement the safe use of hemp byproducts in livestock diets and take full advantage of their nutritional and potential medicinal properties to improve animal health and the quality of animal products. In Oregon, hemp is primarily grown for cannabidiol production. This process yields a high amount of extracted biomass, a byproduct of high nutritive value; however, hemp byproducts are not yet FDA approved to be used in livestock diets. Therefore, we expect to generate data essential for FDA approval and to develop an Extension program on feeding hemp byproducts to livestock.Our primary objective is to generate fundamental data to allow for the legalization of hemp byproducts to be used to feed livestock and to create an Extension program to connect producers with the hemp industry.The Specific Aims are:Determine the residuals of cannabinoids in milk, muscle, and adipose tissue and the effects on health and production in dairy cows fed a ration containing extracted hemp biomass. We will evaluate the effects of replacing alfalfa with extracted hemp biomass in the ration of mid-lactation cows on animal health, milk yield and composition, and levels of cannabinoids in milk, adipose tissue, and muscle.Develop and implement an Extension program to educate livestock producers, general consumers, and policy makers about the potential of feeding hemp biomass byproducts to livestock. With the support of diverse stakeholders, we will conduct surveys to evaluate producers' and consumers' attitudes toward the use of hemp to feed livestock and provide educational programs targeting livestock producers and policy makers about the use of hemp byproducts.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
80%
Applied
20%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Determine the residuals of cannabinoids in milk, muscle, and adipose tissue and the effects on health and production in dairy cows fed a ration containing extracted hemp biomass. We will evaluate the effects of replacing alfalfa with extracted hemp biomass in the ration of mid-lactation cows on animal health, milk yield and composition, and levels of cannabinoids in milk, adipose tissue, and muscle.Develop and implement an Extension program to educate livestock producers, general consumers, and policy makers about the potential of feeding hemp biomass byproducts to livestock. With the support of diverse stakeholders, we will conduct surveys to evaluate producers' and consumers' attitudes toward the use of hemp to feed livestock and provide educational programs targeting livestock producers and policy makers about the use of hemp byproducts.
Project Methods
Specific Aim 1: Determine the residuals of cannabinoids in milk, muscle, and adipose tissue and the effects on health and production in dairy cows fed a ration containing extracted hemp biomassSub-aim 1.1. Assessing the effect of feeding extracted hemp biomass on health, performance, and milk quality of dairy cows. This will be achieved by using 20 mid-lactation multiparous Jersey dairy cows from the Oregon State University (OSU) Dairy Center. Ten cows used for the group receiving extracted hemp biomass will be purchased from the Dairy Center, because of the need to euthanize them and landfill the carcass at the end of the study (see below). The cows will be moved into a pen equipped with Calan gates. The animals will receive the typical total mixed ration (TMR) for lactating dairy cows used by the OSU Dairy Center, containing alfalfa hay. Cows will be randomly assigned (based on milk yield, milk composition, and body weight) to two groups. One group will continue to receive the same ration (control), in the other group alfalfa hay will be replaced by extracted hemp biomass.Cows will be fed the diet as TMR with a progressive adaptation to the experimental diet for 7 days prior to starting the experiment. The extracted hemp biomass will be fed for 4 weeks. Cows will be kept in the Calan gate pen for an additional 4 weeks after withdrawal of hemp to assess carry-over effect on feed intake and cannabinoid residuals.Blood will be collected in the morning before feeding from the jugular vein. Blood will be collected just before starting the experiment (day 0) and at day 21 and 42 during the intervention period (i.e., feeding extract hemp biomass). We will also collect two blood samples at 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention period, during the withdrawal period. Serum and plasma samples will be used for the measurement of parameters related to metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, and liver function. Blood samples collected at 0, 21 and 42 day of the experiment will be also used to assess white blood cell counting, phagocytosis, and white blood cell differential using specific antibodies against neutrophils and monocytes in association with flow cytometer.Milk samples will be collected during morning and evening milking in 50 mL tubes containing bronopol for analysis of components. At the end of the experiment, cows from the group receiving extracted hemp biomass will be euthanized using barbiturate and the carcass will be landfill.Sub-aim 1.2. Determination of THC and CBD residuals in milk, muscle, and adipose tissue of dairy cows fed extracted hemp biomass. Additional milk samples will be collected in 15 mL tubes and stored at -20°C for analysis of the cannabinoids in the same time points as for the milk component analysis described in Sub-aim 1.1. Sub-cutaneous adipose tissue from the tail-head area and semitendinosus muscle will be obtained via biopsy at the end of the intervention period (day 42), and 2 and 4 weeks during the withdrawal period.Quantification of THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA, and CBN present in milk and adipose and muscle tissues will be performed by a commercial laboratory. The CBD and the THC will be quantified as total CBD and THC calculated as CBD + (0.877 × CBDA) and THC + (0.877 ×THCA) to be compliant with the USDA regulations.Specific aim 2: Develop and implement an Extension program to educate livestock producers, general consumers, and policy makers about feeding hemp biomass byproducts to livestock.?Sub-aim 2.1. Evaluate attitudes of livestock producers regarding the use of hemp byproducts as a feedstuff. To evaluate livestock producers' attitudes toward and potential intent in using hemp byproducts as feed for livestock, a one-time survey will be developed and deployed to livestock producers using the mailing lists of the livestock associations in the state.The survey will explore the attitudes of livestock producers regarding (1) nutritional profile of hemp byproducts (2) price and value of hemp byproducts as a feedstuff, (3) availability of hemp byproducts, (4) ease of access and transport of hemp byproducts, and (5) concerns about regulations. We expect that the results of this survey will highlight when and how livestock producers will consider using hemp byproducts as a feedstuff if approved by the FDA.Sub-aim 2.2. Educate livestock producers about the use of hemp byproducts as a feedstuff. A series of Extension educational meetings will be conducted throughout the state targeting livestock producers. In addition, we expect to provide information at preexisting Extension events (e.g., Beef Industry Tour) and the annual conventions of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, Oregon Sheep Growers Association, and Oregon Dairy Farmers Association. Events hosted by the GHIC would also be an appropriate venue. The specific locations and content for these educational meetings will be determined in consultation with the stakeholder advisory committee, but briefly we will cover research findings of Specific Aim 1 and other research completed or ongoing at Oregon State University, particularly the types of hemp byproducts, their nutritional profile, cannabinoid content of plants, differences between hemp and marijuana, biological effects of cannabinoids in hemp (CBD and THC), regional availability of hemp byproducts, legal aspects of hemp use in livestock feeding, appropriate practices for including hemp byproducts in the diet including withdrawal periods, and animal health and performance when supplemented with hemp byproducts.?Sub-aim 2.3. Assess the types, volume, and seasonality of hemp byproduct biomass being produced by hemp processors in the state.Hemp byproduct samples will be conducted statewide during the harvest season of 2020 (September/October), focusing on the largest hemp processors. All collected samples will be individually identified, which will allow for matching of the sample to the crop of origin, resulting in a robust dataset with nutritional characteristics and CBD and THC concentrations of the hemp byproducts linked to information about the variety and the location where the plants were harvested.Sub-aim 2.4 Evaluate acceptability to consumers of products from animals that were fed hemp byproducts. As part of the Extension portion of this proposed project, we will include a consumer survey to evaluate the acceptability of consuming products originating from animals that were fed hemp byproducts. This will be a one-time survey deployed to faculty, staff, and students at Oregon State University in an effort to have a diverse demographic pool.This survey will try to understand factors influencing consumer acceptance of products originating from animals that were fed hemp byproducts by focusing on (1) consumers' understating of regulations regarding industrial hemp, (2) perception of risk, (3) environmental and sustainability impact, (4) preference when provide choice, (5) animal welfare, and (6) and producer profitability.Sub-aim 2.5 Educational meeting with policy makers. With the conclusion of the proposed project (research and Extension) our goal is to summarize all data produced by this project and present it to policy makers in local, state, and federal agencies. Like all Extension programming, the information would be science-based, with the goal of providing regulators with sound data that would inform policy creation and rulemaking.