Martha Stewart is launching CBD products for humans and their pets

Culinary expert Martha Stewart is launching her own line of cannabidiol (CBD) products for humans and their pets.

The 77-year-old has announced that she will be teaming up with Canopy Growth – one of the world’s largest marijuana producers – to develop a line of CBD health products.

However, fans of the Emmy award-winning television show host will have to wait a while until they can try her products because her first venture is going to cater specifically to animals.

“I am delighted to establish this partnership with Canopy Growth and share with them the knowledge I have gained after years of experience in the subject of living,” Stewart said in a statement.

“I’m especially looking forward to our first collaboration together, which will offer sensible products for people’s beloved pets.”

While Stewart’s association with a cannabis company may seem like an unlikely partnership, Canopy Growth said she was an obvious choice.

“As soon as you hear the name Martha, you know exactly who we’re talking about,” Canopy chairman and co-CEO Bruce Linton said in a statement.

“Martha is one of a kind and I am so excited to be able to work alongside this icon to sharpen our CBD. product offerings across categories from human to animal.”

Canopy Growth has revealed that several clinical trials for the pet products are already underway and that Stewart will be advising the company as they develop.

With the partnership, Stewart follows in the footsteps of her close friend Snoop Dogg, who invested in Tweed, a Canopy Growth subsidiary, in 2016.

The pair currently star together on their cooking-meets-talk show Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party.

In 2018, it was reported that the number of CBD consumers doubled following a rise in readily-available cannabis-derived products around the world.

CBD is a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the marijuana plant and doesn't contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the main psychoactive perception and mood-altering component of cannabis.

This means that products containing CBD won’t lead to hallucinogenic effects like recreational use of marijuana is known to do.

Instead, CBD is typically sold in products, like oils, that advertise benefits such as pain relief and reducing anxiety.

However, it remains unclear as to how these types of products affect animals.

According to Forbes, there are a number of examples where CBD might help a domestic animal including for treatment of anxiety when travelling or going to the vet.

There are already a number of “pet-friendly” products available to buy online but while people may be medicating their pets with CBD, there remains very little research on the subject.

In Colorado - the first US state to legalise recreational marijuana in 2012 – Dr Stephanie McGrath, a neurologist and assistant professor at Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, has completed two clinical studies on the effects of cannabidiol in dogs with osteoarthritis or epilepsy.

An initial investigation involving 30 healthy research animals found that CBD was tolerated while preliminary results of the epilepsy investigation were promising enough that McGrath began a three-year crossover study with a $350,000 (£264,358) grant from the American Kennel Club in January 2018.

Speaking to The Independent, the RSPCA said that more research needs to be done before CBD can be recommended as an aid to distressed animals.

“We are not aware of any studies which show proven benefits of CBD oil for pets," said Caroline Allen, chief veterinary officer at the RSPCA.

"If anyone has concerns about their pet's health, we would always advise them to contact their vet.”