Pot-eating pigs have become a phenomenon in Washington state, which legalized recreational marijuana last year.
A farmer north of Seattle and others are looking to turn marijuana waste--excess roots, leaves, and stems--into food for pigs.
Reuters reported that several farmers, including Susannah Gross, gave four pigs leaves from marijuana as a supplement, and they ended up 20 to 30 pounds heavier than the others. Gross owns a five-acre farm north of Seattle.
“They were eating more, as you can imagine,” Gross was quoted as saying.
Matt McAlman, the marijuana grower who gave the leavings to Gross, said that giving weed stems, roots, and leaves to animals for slaughter is a good idea.
“We can have pot chickens, pot pigs, grass-fed beef,” he said.
The report comes a few days after it was reported that William von Schneidau, a butcher from Seattle, gave his pigs marijuana refuse, according to NPR.
He described the meat from the marijuana-fed pigs as generally “redder and more savory” than ones that weren’t.
“If we had a vet that stepped up to the plate and wanted to check out their joints and mood, and what drugs make pigs happy, that would be great,” he said. “But me, I just get out there, and cut them up, and put them on a BBQ, and eat them.”
Recently, researchers with the European Union Food Safety Authority investigated using hemp in feed for dairy cows but found that THC from the plants seeped its way into the cows’ milk. The scientists recommended that practice should be prohibited but said feeding cows hemp seeds is fine.
