Dawn Boothe, Phd, DVM, DACVIM/Internal Medicine, DACVCP (Clinical Pharmacology)
Gary Richter, MS, DVM, CVA, CVC, GDVWHM
Jeff Pollard, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline) Lance Roasa, DVM, MS, JD Holly Hommerding, DVM, DABT, DABVT Casara Andre, DVM, cVMA Course Open: November 20, 2023 - April 30, 2025
Total CE Credit: 7
RACE Category: 5 hours Medical, 2 hours Non-Medical
| Enroll Now |
Tuition: VIN/VSPN Member $161 |
*When you enroll in the PHAR112-2023A: Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine Basics course, you will automatically be enrolled in the PHAR113-0524: Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine - Panel Conversation, at no additional charge. This is a live Panel discussion held on May 8, 2024, you can find more information about this event here: Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine - Panel Conversation (PHAR113-0524) Course Information:
With cannabis science and the legal environment rapidly changing throughout the country, if not the world, we are excited to offer this first of its kind introduction to veterinary cannabis course. This course will provide up-to-date information on medical and legal topics pertaining to cannabis in veterinary medicine. It will review the endocannabinoid system, the cannabis plant itself and all its components. Discuss the toxicologic aspects of cannabis, through a review of the pertinent seminal cannabis articles. Take a look at the clinical application of cannabis. And finally review the federal and state laws and regulations and how they pertain specifically to veterinary medicine. To earn a certificate of completion the participant must complete all learning modules and score 80% or better on the end-of-course test. Completion of the course will take a minimum of 426 minutes. Participants must complete the participation requirements by April 30, 2025 to be eligible for a certificate. To learn more about the requirements for earning a Self Study CE certificate, please refer to Self Study CE Certificate Requirements.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
- Understand the role of the endocannabinoid system in body-wide signaling and system regulation
- Understand the wide array of clinical treatments that modulate the endocannabinoid system in mammals
- Understand the proven and potential clinical applications for endocannabinoid system modulation to promote mammalian health
- To summarize the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol thus far established in dogs and cats
- To summarize the relevant pharmacodynamics/ therapeutic indications emerging for cannabidiol in dogs
- To recommend approaches for cannabidiol dosing regimens based on the evidence thus far
- To delineate challenges in establishing safe and effective use of medical cannabinoids going forward
- To learn about cannabis responsive disease and their mechanisms
- To understand contraindications and drug-drug interactions
- To understand the importance (and how to read) a certificate of analysis when evaluating products
- To bolster confidence in the veterinary practitioner as they move forward with use of Cannabis products in their patients.
- Reviw pertinent mechanistic and pharmacokinetic information with regards to phytocannabinoids in veterinary patients, outlining safety expectations and considerations with use of Cannabis products in dogs and cats.
- To discuss accidental overdose expectations, prognosis, and supportive care measures.
- Understand the key legal terminology & definitions.
- Be familiar with the cannabis-related legislation in your state.
- Communicate legally & ethically with clients about cannabis products.
- Review federal laws on cannabis and veterinary medicine
- Understand your civil liabilities
Level and Prerequisites: Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE self-study course is open for enrollment to veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists actively interested in cannabis in veterinary medicine. This course is open to VIN and VSPN members only.
Accreditation: This non-interactive course is approved for 7 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 20-1126458)
Course Agenda: Module 1: An Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) for Veterinary Practitioners.
Total Time: 57 minutes
Video: 57 minutes
Description: An Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) for Veterinary Practitioners. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex signaling system responsible for regulation of multiple systems throughout the body. The ECS homeostatic functions in mammals have been summarized as, "relax, eat, sleep, forget, and protect." This module will explore the ECS and how it can be modulated through many clinical modalities such as diet and lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical use, and herbal (including cannabis) therapy to affect patient health.
Module 2: Entourage: Cannabis sativa L.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Video: 45 minutes
Description: This module provides a brief history of cannabis as medicine and describes many of the functional components of the cannabis plant including the phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids and how they interact within the body to promote health and optimal body function
Module 3: Cannabis in Companion Animals: The toxicological considerations
Total Time: 63 minutes
Video: 63 minutes
Description: This module will discuss the toxicological data available for commonly used phytocannabinoids in veterinary medicine. The conversation will focus on the canine and feline species, and we will discuss the mechanism of action, outline the pharmacokinetic or toxicokinetic profiles, review common clinical outcomes with therapeutic use of or inadvertent overdose of these products, and will provide general supportive management recommendations for the accidental overdose patient.
Module 4: Medical Cannabinoids in Animals: A look to the future from a view of the past
Total Time: 70 minutes
Video: 70 minutes
Description: This module will integrate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evidence, wrapping up with a review of emergent evidence of efficacy (or lack thereof) of cannabinoids, with a focus on cannabidiol, for treatment of diseases or syndromes in dogs and cats. Continuing challenges will be highlighted.
Module 5: Clinical Applications of Cannabis in Small Animal Medicine
Total Time: 80 minutes
Video: 80 minutes
Description: A detailed discussion of cannabis-related drug-drug interactions, cannabis responsive diseases (with some mechanisms),contraindications, and signs of toxicity.
Module 6:The legalities of Cannabis for Veterinarians
Total Time: 50 minutes
Video: 50 minutes
Description: This session will give real life structure on how the law effects cannabis and veterinary medicine.
Module 7: The State of Veterinary Cannabis in the United States
Total Time: 46 minutes
Video: 46 minutes
Description: Some states permit veterinarians to legally discuss, recommend, and administer hemp-derived cannabis for their animal patients. This module will provide an overview of the state of veterinary cannabis use & regulation in the US. It will include a review of the state-by-state veterinary cannabis legislation to date (June 2023).
Module 8: End of Course Test
Total Time: 15 minutes
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. Module 9: Course Evaluation
To learn more about the requirements for earning a Self Study CE certificate, please refer to Self Study CE Certificate Requirements.
| Enroll Now |
Tuition: VIN/VSPN Member $161 |
*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center. Enrollment qualifications for Self Study CE:
- VIN CE Courses:
- VIN CE courses are open to VIN members.
- Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
- VSPN CE Courses:
- VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
- Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
- Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
- Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
- Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org
and @vin.com addresses.
- Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
- For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN@vin.com. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to starting the course. If you wish to withdraw after you have started this self-study course, please contact the VSPN office 800-846-0028, ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund. *For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog. Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director VIN CE Services: CEonVIN
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357