Stressed out, anxious and depressed … it turns out elephants are a lot like us, and a zoo in Poland is going to see if medical marijuana can help them out … just like us.
The Warsaw Zoo lost one of its 4 elephants in March — the alpha female named Erna — and her death has had a significant impact on the others … especially another female named Fredzia.
The zoo says Fredzia has displayed signs of grieving, stress and depression, and it can take months or even years for her and the others to cope with the loss and get over the behavioral issues caused by the change to the group’s structure.
Unless … medicinal marijuana can help.
The zoo and its doctors have launched a project to test whether CBD oil can reduce anxiety in the animals, starting with the elephants.
The first stage of the trial — taking blood samples to monitor cortisol levels — has already been completed … so now it’s time to start giving them the good stuff.
No, the elephants won’t be taking bong rips, they’ll simply be given drops of CBD via their trunks or mixed into their food … and no serious side effects are expected.
The zoo doctors believe the project is the first of its kind, but it could take up to 2 years to have conclusive results.