The legalization of marijuana in many countries is a well-known fact. So smoking weed is not a big deal. But if you own a pet, the situation is different.
Likely, if you’re a smoker, your pet is sharing that habit with you as a part of your lifestyle. So, you should know that some pets react to marijuana intake in any form more adversely compared to others.
We are not talking here about dogs, for example. If you are smoking a pot next to your Labrador, unlikely it gets high (but please, this is not a call to start giving marijuana to your dog).
But if you own a parrot, what happens if you smoke marijuana next to its cage? Can your parrot get high?
Yes! Even without much research about marijuana’s effects on a parrot, I would say that this outcome is unfavorable for a parrot. The form doesn’t matter. Even if you smoke a joint next to the parrot – secondhand smoke effects can hit your bird.
But what are the effects marijuana has on parrots?
Why is it a bad idea to get high next to your parrot? And what to do when your parrot has eaten or inhaled marijuana by accident?
In today’s article, we’ll discuss these and other questions, so let’s get straight to business.
Can Parrots Get High and What Effects Does Marijuana Have On Parrots?
As I said, parrots really can get high. But what does this mean?
Will the effect of “getting high” be similar to those that humans usually experience? The answer to this question is NO.
In humans, marijuana causes mild effects depending on the amount of intake. But in parrots, when they get high – the outcome can be lethal.
The effects of marijuana on parrots are not yet studied well. Some researchers confirm that various substances, like alcohol, cause a mess in a bird’s senses, distortions, and disorientation, which resembles marijuana’s effects on people.
A few pieces of research about secondhand marijuana smoke’s effect on a parrot describe that bird experiences the same range of conditions as humans do. But the different thing is that they feel these more heavily.
So why do parrots prone to such intoxication?
- First, because of their size. Parrots are smaller than people, so the same amount of intoxicants hits their organism to a much more sweeping extent.
- Second, being high – is not a normal condition to a parrot. And while a person is ready to undergo the whole range of effects from smoking marijuana, parrots don’t get what’s happening with them. This unexpected and unknown adds more fear. If a parrot gets high, it can panic. Extreme feelings of physical sickness and increased chance of trauma due to panic create a state that can be fatal for a parrot.
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Why Are Parrots More Sensitive to Inhalation Compared to Other Pets?
Birds and parrots, in particular, experience more intoxication if they inhale any secondhand smoke – be it from a cigarette or a marijuana joint. Why?
Because of several reasons explained below.
Parrot’s respiratory system is much more developed compared to other species
And, parrots breathe faster than humans or other animals.
In combination, these two factors result in more oxygen delivered to a parrot’s body. At the same time, the amount of toxins parrots get if it inhales smoke from your cigarette is also more significant.
Parrots have a system of air sacs
What does that mean? Unlike people, who breathe in and out, parrot’s inhalation is kept in their body longer – like for a second breath. When this bird inhales, the air goes to the posterior air sac. As the parrot exhales, the air doesn’t leave its body. The air amount moves to the lungs where it stays for another breath round before going out the body.
As a result of such a system, all airborne toxins stay inside the parrot’s body for a more extended time, causing more harm.
Does Secondhand Marijuana Smoking Affect My Parrot and How?
In addition to the conditions listed above (disorientation, loss of balance and coordination, etc.), parrots fall under the not-so-obvious negative effect of secondhand marijuana smoke.
As there is not much specific research on marijuana usage on birds, the results gained by studies that checked the effects of secondhand smoke on other birds’ species allow us to conclude about parrots.
Studies show that birds experience the negative influence of any secondhand smoke that hits their respiratory system. That covers cigarettes, marijuana, and even smoke from your kitchen oven.
Regular and long-term exposure to such smoke leads to various respiratory issues, including cough, sneezing, and bacterial infections. If not treated, such states can then develop into chronic respiratory diseases.
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Can My Parrot Have Marijuana in Another Form than Smoking?
NO! Bad idea!
Nevertheless, marijuana can be used in various sorts – from capsules to pots, the adverse effect on a parrot is not related to a form of intake.
You can smoke, vape, or even eat marijuana, but don’t give it to your parrot no matter what you do.
Also, don’t expose your bird to secondhand marijuana smoking to avoid any adverse and destructive effects from it.
What Happens If I Give My Parrot Marijuana?
Some individuals still disregard the possible toxic effects of marijuana intake on parrots and choose to give their birds marijuana. On YouTube, many owners have fun and try to get their parrots high. But if they are caught, they can be charged.
I’ll explain why.
In such cases, aside from parrot’s reaction and physical illness, such owners fall under legal consequences. At the moment, over 29 states legally require vets to report cruelty and abuse cases towards animals.
You or your friends are responsible by law for intentionally giving your parrot marijuana. And it’s a vet’s job to report such situations.
Even states that legalized marijuana for use considers getting your pet high as a nasty attitude to an animal.
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Does This Mean I Don’t Need to Take My Parrot to the Vet If They Have Intaken Marijuana?
No! Please immediately take the parrot to a veterinarian if he ate or inhaled marijuana. Otherwise, you risk your parrot’s life.
In cases if the intake of marijuana was accidental, you may not be charged at all (for example, if a parrot finds your marijuana brownie and eats it, or if it falls under the effect of secondhand smoke).
An intentional act differs from an accidental situation.
To Sum Up
Never ever provide your parrot marijuana in any possible form. Please don’t make them secondhand smokers.
Follow some safety tips if you intend to smoke a marijuana joint at home:
- Keep your bird in a separate room away from the source of smoke
- After you finish, keep away the leftovers and put them in place so that your parrot can’t reach them by accident.
Now when you own a parrot, you’re responsible for its life, so it’s time to make good choices. Don’t let your birdy down!
