It seems like cannabidiol (CBD) is popping up in everything these days, from workout gear to skincare. Suddenly, the cannabinoid is being pitched to various populations as a near-magic cure-all and pet owners are no exception.

The psychoactive but non-intoxicating hemp-derived compound has been administered for illnesses such as pain, arthritis, and anxiety in cats and dogs — but with very little scientific evidence backing CBD for pets, many veterinarians are wary of the treatment.

But that’s starting to change. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (UPSVM) is partnering with Denver-based cannabis producer Dixie Brands, Inc. to launch the first scientific study of the effectiveness of a cannabinoid therapy administered to relieve pain and other symptoms of canine joint-immobility.

Kimberly Agnello, an associate professor of surgery at UPSVM, is the study’s lead investigator.

“There are many different products that are sold out there and we really don’t know which ones are helpful, how much to give, or even how safe it is to administer it at different dosages,” Agnello told Philly Mag.

“We want to validate whether this is actually helpful and if it’s something we should be recommending. Up until now, there haven’t been too many great studies showing that CBD is beneficial in helping to relieve pain in people or dogs with arthritis.”

Agnello’s team will study dogs suffering from osteoarthritis in order to establish which CBD treatments result in better patient outcomes. The dogs will be divided into three groups — one which will be administered a Dixie Brands affiliate-developed CBD formula, one that will be administered CBD only, and one that will receive a placebo.

Agnello says that the study will be the largest-scale canine/CBD trial to date, and may be the first significant double-blind trial for dogs (which means neither researchers or dog parents know which canines have received which medication or placebo), although it isn’t the first time she and her researchers have tried to study how CBD affects domestic animals.

“We actually tried to do a study using CBD years ago but due to regulations around having it here and the fact that it was listed as a Schedule I substance, it was very difficult for us to do the study,” she said.

“Because while it doesn’t contain THC, it is developed from the same marijuana plant,” she explained. “Now that those regulations have become less strict, it has been easier for us to do the study.”

Agnello believes that the study could also help humans with arthritis, as most simulate arthritis in rodents — but dogs who have been diagnosed with arthritis have more similarities, physically and with regards to lifestyle, to humans.

“Dogs truly develop arthritis in a similar way to humans and they experience similar chronic pain, she said. “Unlike a mouse that lives in a lab, dogs live with us and are exposed to the same toxins in food, in the air, and in the environment. So, they’re not only similar in the development of disease but they have a similar lifestyle to us. We see a lot of the studies we do as translational studies because the information could also be useful for future studies in people.”