Question

Has Kentucky Equine Research (KER) done any research on hempseed oil as an additive for racehorses or broodmares and foals as a balanced source of omega-3, -6, and -9? Is there a buildup of THC in racehorses that would cause a positive test result?

Answer

KER has not looked specifically at hempseed oil, but KER and other research groups have done a significant amount of research on fish oil in broodmares and exercising horses. The fatty acid profile of hempseed oil looks promising, but there is still the stumbling block of inefficient conversion of omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid to DHA and EPA, which can be used in the horse’s body. This is one reason KER has focused on fish oil, which has omega-3s in the form of DHA and EPA as well as omega-9s, over hempseed or flaxseed oils. The fish oil product from KER is called EO•3.

Regarding tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), I don’t think there’s an exact answer because hempseed has not yet been researched in horses. Government regulation requires the allowable amount of THC in a commercial product to be less than 10 ppm, which is very little. The majority of products have absolutely none detectable. THC is not found in the seed but adheres to the surface of the seed, so if the manufacturer thoroughly cleans the seeds, the chance of significant amounts of residual THC is slight. The problem becomes figuring out which products have residual THC and which do not. This question should be posed to the individual manufacturer.

Can the small amounts of THC in hempseed oil, if present at all, find their way into the blood or urine and be detected with drug screening? Likely, yes. If hempseed oil with traces of THC is fed, detectable amounts will be found. Before deciding whether to use hempseed oil, you might determine how the drug is classified. For example, does it fall under “Zero Tolerance” or “No Effect Threshold (NET)”? Modern testing is so precise that minute amounts are detectable, even though the concentration found might have no physiological effect whatsoever. NET allows for detection as long as it is not a level found to be therapeutic, but Zero Tolerance means that if any THC is found it is cause for disqualification from a race.