The U.S. hemp industry is looking to animal feed as a potential outlet for surplus biomass and processing byproducts, with research showing nutritional promise but cannabinoid residue concerns and fragmented regulation continuing to limit commercial uptake.
A study published 24 September 2026 in the journal Animals reports that feeding whole hemp seeds to Holstein–Friesian bulls at a 10% concentrate inclusion rate raised zinc, magnesium, iron, retinol, and α-tocopherol in muscle tissue and improved the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids, though higher inclusion at 17% produced little additional benefit and neither level increased long-chain omega-3 PUFA concentrations.