About a month ago, Fredzia the young African elephant lady living in the Warsaw zoo made international news. Not because of her inherent majesty, but because the death of her friend and elder, Erna, wrecked her world to such a degree that zoological scientists felt compelled to prescribe a cannabis compound to help alleviate her stress.

“This year has been a difficult time for Fredzia,” wrote a BBC reporter in late August. Worrisome behavioral changes that stemmed from her grief inspired zoo veterinarian Dr. Agnieszka Czujkowska to begin administering small doses (relative to the voluptuous beauty’s size) of cannabidiol, also known as CBD oil, to Fredzia’s daily regimen. “Elephants might have behavioural problems when the structure of a group changes,” Dr. Czujkowska told the reporter. We know something about grief and difficult structural changes, don’t we, fellow inhabitants of Earth?

A brief aside: In the Polish translation of A.A. Milne’s timeless classic, Winnie the Pooh, the beloved bear from childhood who, like many of us in 2020, refused to wear pants, is called Fredzia Phi-Phi. Back to the silly old bear shortly.

– Read the entire article at The Austin Chronicle.