As a reminder, Proposition 65 is a regulation in California that requires businesses to inform Californians about exposures to certain substances (i.e. trace amounts of THC). It was recently legally confirmed that this warning does not apply to animal consumables, and we could not be more excited to be removing that warning label from our CBD oils, bites, and chews (however, while consumables are exempt, topicals are not so this warning will remain on our Soothing Balm for CA orders only). This is not due to any change in our products and does not indicate that our products are harmful in any way. If you have purchased Holistic Hound products over the past 6 years, you know that our top priority is the trust of our customers and we are always striving to be compliant in this continuously changing CBD market. We will continue to keep our paws on the pulse of industry and state mandated regulations to keep you and your pets safe.
While you may still see a few Holistic Hound products with this warning, it will be short-lived as all of our new product labels will be void of this warning. Thank you for your patience, support, and understanding while we work on updating our labels. We appreciate you and this amazing pet community!
If you’re still curious about the origin of prop 65, read our original blog post below.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Have you seen this warning label?
⚠ WARNING: cancer – www.p65warnings.ca.gov
It’s called the California Proposition 65 (CA Prop 65) warning and it appears on many everyday products, from thermoses and travel mugs, to vacuum cleaners, certain candies, cosmetics, and much more. You may have even seen it on a few full-spectrum CBD products as well.
What exactly is the CA Prop 65?
California’s Prop 65 started as a safeguard for contaminated drinking water, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.
Initially, this enforcement act only included 235 chemicals. But today the list has grown to nearly 900 (some of which haven’t been proven to be harmful in the uses that require the label).
In a nutshell, if a product that’s sold in California includes one of the 900 substances on the list, it requires the CA Prop 65 warning label, with no exceptions. And now delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is among them—even though no studies to date have shown that ingestible THC from full-spectrum CBD is harmful to humans or animals in any way.
This means any full-spectrum CBD product sold to customers in California must contain this label from now on (including ours).
The CA Prop 65 warning doesn’t necessarily mean that a particular product is unsafe for its intended use. It’s simply required by the state of California to warn all consumers about the potential exposure to certain ingredients that may cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm.
Why was THC added to CA Prop 65 in the first place?
The CA Prop 65’s inclusion of THC was intended to refer to cannabis smoke (not the ingestible THC that’s part of a hemp-derived product). And in all fairness, any inhalation of any substance—marijuana, tobacco, or otherwise—can be damaging to the lungs. Fortunately, our canine and feline friends have no idea how to roll a joint and smoke it, so they’re in the clear.
THC made it on the CA Prop 65 list because inhalation of marijuana smoke was shown to have certain negative effects during pregnancy. And of course, with pregnancy (human and pet), it’s imperative to be extra cautious with diet and activities. Hence the reason females are encouraged to stay away from caffeine, turkey lunch meat, raw cheese, hot tubs, and smoking tobacco or cannabis during pregnancy.
Recently, the law was changed to include all forms of THC, which is unfortunate because there’s no published evidence that demonstrates that ingestible THC from hemp-derived products causes any harm to humans or pets.
But we get it. Seeing any warning on any of your products (specifically for your pet) can be alarming, especially if the warning mentions cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
So let us put your mind at ease….
That small yellow triangle with an exclamation point, though scary and daunting, has been plastered on a lot of products and in a lot of places.
In fact, for a while, Starbucks had to have the CA Prop 65 warning in their lobby. And so did Disneyland Resorts!
It’s even shown up on potato chip bags (Acrylamide), lumber (wood dust), and vacuum cleaner cords (lead). And while this warning is helpful, it’s just that: a warning that potentially harmful substances are present. It doesn’t necessarily indicate how much of these substances are present in the product, what form they’re in, or how much is needed to be harmful to humans and animals.
Now for the good news…
Hemp-derived full spectrum CBD contains no more than 0.3% THC—which, scientifically, isn’t nearly enough to cause a psychoactive effect in humans or animals. In fact, CBD has been shown to prevent the unwanted psychoactive effects of THC. And according to multiple studies, full spectrum CBD has a good safety profile.
Now you might be wondering…
Are Holistic Hounds products with the CA Prop 65 warning safe for my pet to consume?
Absolutely!
You see, according to the State of California Department of Justice, Proposition 65 is a ‘right to know’ law. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a particular product is unsafe.
But we understand that it can sound scary. And even though THC has just been added to the CA Prop 65 list, seeing this new warning label on our full-spectrum CBD pet products may raise confusion, concern, and even fear.
However, as a company that was founded in California, we’ve been following California’s Proposition 65 strict guidelines for years. These guidelines are some of the most stringent in the country. New warning label or not, our ingredients, manufacturing processes, testing, safety, and quality control have not changed.
All of our hemp-derived products are sourced from 100% USDA Certified Organic, American grown hemp, and free from the following:
- Synthetic fertilizers
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- GMOs
- And other harmful contaminants, all of which have been linked to various problems in domestic pets
Our number one passion is improving the health and wellness of animals, and it’s what drives us to continue to create organic, high-quality products that are safe for your beloved pets to consume.
If you’d like to learn more about the CA Prop 65 warnings, feel free to visit their website here. And if you have any further questions regarding these new warnings, please reach out to us at Holistic Hound. We’re always happy to help, talk through any concerns or just hear great stories about your pet. We all love being pet parents and get inspired by everything your pets do too.