"When we talk about what can be treated, at the moment the sky is the limit as we're learning more about the plant. "No one has done this in Australia before." CannPal recently announced it would work with Eurofins Animal Health to develop pain treatments using cannabis products for cats, with approvals being carried out. The first trial involved 11 dogs; eight were given active compounds containing cannabinoids while the other three were given placebos. Mr Mills said no adverse effects had been recorded in the initial trial.

"Dogs are a lot easier to develop a drug for than cats because cats internal systems are known for being very finicky," he said. "We found that we have a good safety profile with the formulation and now we're able to expand." Medicinal cannabis for human consumption is already legal in Australia, but patients looking to use it have to go through several approval processes with the Therapeutic Goods Administration, federal and state governments. Among the conditions treated in humans are epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea. It isn't only the company that's excited by the prospect of cannabis-based medicine for pets. The Australian Veterinary Association said research in the area represented a lot of potential.

Veterinary association president Paula Parker said the medicine could provide many benefits once it had been fully tested. "We're seeing pets live longer and as a result we're seeing more geriatric diseases in pets like osteoarthritic diseases or cancer," Dr Parker said. "There's a lot of potential for treatment using effective compounds and the right dosages." It's estimated 60 per cent dogs between seven and 11 will develop arthritis and one in two will form some kind of cancer. In cats, 61 per cent of those over the age of six have arthritis in at least one joint.

"There's a recent trend of the humanisation of pets, where they are treated as good, if not better, than children," Mr Mills said. "Pets are being treated a lot better and getting better medical care and are living longer, but a negative result from this is they're developing a lot of age-related issues." Dr Parker said little was known about the effective of cannabis-derived medicine's effect on pets due to cannabis being illegal in Australia, and little research had been done in the area. She was looking forward to further research in Australia, and findings coming from overseas. "What our colleagues in the US and Canada have found is as cannabis has become legalised and its becoming more common in homes there, we're seeing an increase in dogs and cats treated for toxicity," Dr Parker said.