Weed-fed hogs

May 16, 2013

Washington State pot legalization prompts butcher to feed marijuana to pigs

Since Washington State passed legalization of marijuana last year, cannabis growers have been searching for ways to market the unused bits of the plant that you otherwise cannot sell. A butcher has come up with a solution for the plant waste – feeding the rest of the plant to hogs. The pigs are feed the leftover stems, leaves and root bulbs.

The butcher, William Von Schneidau paired up a medical marijuana co-op - Top Shelf Organic and a hog farmer to work together and create controlled-substance pork. According to Von Scheidau, adding weed to feed increases the fiber content of a pig’s diet, encouraging weight gain. Reports say that the pork has a savory taste. Von Scheidau calls the marijuana-fed hogs “pot pigs”.

Von Schneidau, owner of BB Ranch located in Seattle, specializes in organic and grass-fed meats including pork. The pot pork isn’t the first unique product that BB Ranch has had on the menu. In addition to Bucking Boar Farms feeding marijuana to hogs, they’ve also tried feeding vodka grains to pigs.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.