Pet CBD is booming. CBD is a massive, emerging market, especially in the United States. In 2020, sales of CBD products in the U.S. alone generated $4.6 billion and sales are forecasted to grow nearly four-fold by 2026 to $16 billion.

For those who do not know, CBD is derived from cannabis and is a separate compound from THC, which is the psychoactive compound in marijuana. These are two separate entities within the cannabis plant. Hemp, which is the type of cannabis that CBD is derived from, was legalized in 2018 by the Farm Bill because it only has trace amounts of THC, if at all.

The many applications of CBD

CBD offers a wide range of health benefits based on its intrinsic qualities as an anti-inflammatory. It helps treat anxiety, insomnia, joint pain, skincare issues, seizures, and more. And these health benefits have not gone unnoticed by health care professionals; the FDA recently approved a new drug that includes CBD for epilepsy. With the growing market for humans booming, the CBD for pets market is also exploding.

CBD has the same general applications for pets as it does for humans, including relief from joint pain and anxiety. In addition, it benefits immunity and brain health. The CBD pet market is globally valued at $27.7 million and is predicted to grow more than 40 percent by 2027. As is the nature of any emerging market, the CBD pet market is very competitive, with major pet care companies looking to enter the fray.

Top CBD pet brands we love

Read on to explore some of the best CBD pet brands with great products available this summer.

1. Charlotte’s Web

Overall CBDC rating: 9.4/10
Charlotte’s Web has earned its place at the top of our list. It is one of the oldest brands in the industry, founded in 2012 by seven brothers, and is one of the most highly rated on CBD Clinicals, a website that reviews CBD brands. They are also a top choice brand from Petco. The Stanely brothers named the product after their sister, Charlotte, who passed away in 2020. The brand, which started with the goal of helping Charlotte, is now a well-respected CBD manufacturer with a variety of products for humans and dogs. For dogs, they offer three major types of chews that use a full spectrum hemp extract of CBD for several purposes.

2. Honest Paws

Overall CBDC rating: 9.3/10
Honest Paws is another highly rated CBD brand for pets that offers CBD products for dogs, cats, and even horses. The core of their ideology is pet health and wellness, stemming from the root cause of the brand’s creation. The company’s co-founder Chelsea Rivera found CBD products when her dog, Baby Rose, was ill. The vet’s option was a medication with a list of side effects and no guarantee that it would work.

Honest Paws uses organic full-spectrum hemp oil, tested by a third party for purity. For dogs, they have CBD oil drops and chews labeled Calm, Wellness, Mobility, and Relief. They also offer Wellness drops for cats and horses.

3. Pet Releaf

Overall CBDC rating: 9/10
Pet Releaf is another top brand from Petco. The Colorado-based company was founded by Steve and Alina Smith and Chelsea Gennings to create a ‘less is more’-style CBD product that has helped over 2.5 million pets. The brand was inspired by their dog Maddy. They created Edibites, which includes ingredients sourced only from American farms for Wellness, Calm, Immunity, and Hip & Joint Pain. They also offer USDA Organic Hemp Oil for cats that is a full spectrum hemp extract.

4. HolistaPet

Overall CBDC rating: 8/10
HolistaPet is another brand highly rated on CBD Clinicals and is included on this list because of its wide range of products. This brand, like Honest Paws, includes products for dogs, cats, and horses. While they include the typical Hemp Oil Drops of the other brands for all three, they also have cat treats with CBD in them, which is unique in this list.

Interested in learning more about the pet industry? Explore our specialized pet division.