OSU Looking At Giving Hemp Leftovers To Cows

A new Study from Oregon State University shows a nutritious, inexpensive and renewable resource could be the next big thing in livestock feed, spent hemp biomass.

“It’s very similar to alfalfa. We didn’t find any detrimental effects on the health of the animal," said associate Professor Massimo Bionaz.

He added the biomass, which is the leftover part of the plant after processing, was fed to dairy cows to determine whether any cannabinoids filter through into the milk.

“Of course, one of the major concerns with hemp is the cannabinoids, especially the THC, which is a major concern for the FDA," Bionaz said.

His research, recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found cows do absorb THC, but within two weeks of switching to another feed, no THC is detected in the milk.

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