Sea weed: Researchers get tilapia high to reduce stress

Beyond the reef(er): Stoned tilapia apparently don't do any better than sober ones. Photo: Pentair 

Unfortunately the trial revealed no benefits

Researchers in Lebanon fed Nile tilapia special fish pellets laced with cannabis oil in an effort to reduce stress and lower mortality rates, reports Metro.

Patrick Saoud, an aquatic scientist from the American University of Beirut who led the study, sourced the cannabis from Lebanon's police department and fed it to the fish every day for two weeks.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. The fish fed the edibles didn’t actually survive any better than the fish fed a control diet.

It’s also possible that the fish built up a tolerance to the drugs after receiving the same amount every day for two weeks straight.

It was hoped the pellets would help the fish grow by increasing their metabolism.

"But they were not given extra food to make up for this metabolic increase, so they used what food they got for energy rather than building blocks for growth," Saoud said.

"In order for the fish to actually grow, farmers would need to feed them more food after giving them the pellets. However, this would cut into their profit margins – so it’s unlikely any farmers will actually do it. After all of that, Saoud’s conclusion was: "Until further research yields different results, we do not believe fish should be given reefer."