this is "nightline." tonight, green rush. from fields of hemp to store shelves. inside the new frontier of cannabis-based cbd. how a wounded warrior says it brought him back from the brink of opioid addiction. >> without that change i don't know that i would be here. >> and a soccer star who hopes to make it part of training routines. it's the biggest trend in wellness, but is it really a cure-all? plus, moo-ving experience. . why cuddling cows is all the wave. and the new service animals, providing therapy for some and raising eyebrows for others.

but first the "nightline" five. number we all have things we love and long for. a place, a feeling, a moment. but only kerrygold can take you there. to ireland's lush, green pastures.

where grass-fed cows produce rich, creamy milk for the most delicious taste imaginable. that's no ordinary cheese. no. it's kerrygold. kerrygold. the taste that takes you there. good evening. thanks for joining us. produced from the cannabis plant, cbd is a chemical plant with many uses, but getting high is not one of them. now the journeys for one veteran

and a soccer star who say cbd changed will lives while others remain skeptical of its uses. here's austin singh. >> reporter: for sergeant hayhus hayhearst, this is peace. >> there is great they are arapn using your hands. >> reporter: the journey of one of his knives. through the fire, cracked and beaten, only to emerge stronger and with new purpose. parallel to his own. >> i was an army infantryman, deployed in 2004 to 2005 to sadr city, iraq. >> reporter: hayhearst and his unit part of the siege of sadr city, now infamously known as

"black sunday." there were 19 o o humvees who were hit. a lot of us believed we not going to get out of there. i got hit. it was chunks of concrete and metal. i figured we would die. >> reporter: he found comfort in dependence with opiates. he became lost until a plant and three letters. cbd, helped him live also life again. do you think all of this would have been possible if you never got off those pain meds and onto cbd? >> i was in a bad place on the pain meds, on and off suicidal. without that change, i don't know that i would be here. >> reporter: he now lives with his family in washington. he takes cbd oil with his coffee every morning. >> i notice it throughout my whole body. the pain level just drops.

>> reporter: cbd. you might say it's marijuana's friendly cousin and the "it" product of 2019. if you feel like you've seen those three letters everywhere, you probably have. the cbd market is predicted to reach $20 billion by 2024. we're taking you inside the cbd craze. from the fields to the facilities. meeting some of the pioneers of the booming industry along the way. >> i try to use cbd as much as possible. >> reporter: skeptics are calling it snake oil, while believers are calling it a cure-all, but there's one big question we want to start with. what exactly is it? >> it's canabadiol. it's one of the chemicals in cannabis plants. >> reporter: the jury's still out on what it exactly does. but we do know it can affect transmitters in the brain. >> for example it modulates serotonin that we know is important for anxiety and mood

and impacts on inflammatory processes, even in immune-related systems in the brain. >> reporter: it is in marijuana and hemp, both forms of cannabis. the difference, hemp has less than .3% thc and doesn't get you high. last year, president trump signed the bill opening the door for the cbd boom. but where does it come from? hayhearst uses the brand called war fighter. we traveled to colorado to meet agronomist damian farris. >> warfighter works for those who have ptsd or are trying to get off of opiates. >> reporter: he runs a commercial hemp company. we joined him for a tour of one of the largest organic hemp farms in the country to find out

how cbdlodo, and i'm surrounded by 600 acres of industrial hemp. it's where over 40 brands are supplied with the product. how does it go from being a plant like this to actually a tincture on a shelf? >> after we plant and grow the hemp, the next key step is harvesting it. >> reporter: this is just the starting point. >> this is just the starting point. >> reporter: it's late in the season. the green flowers have dried and are ready for harvest. so damian let us take a ride. >> i got it, i got it. >> reporter: sweet. >> that's green rush. >> reporter: the green we just got out of the combine where they finished harvesting a bunch of the hemp. now it will be sent to

processing, where the cbd is going to be extracted. >> the hemp buds f comes in wet here. we're doing about 2,000 pounds an hour of dried material output. >> reporter: as far as processing facilities go, how large is this one? >> we're probably in the top three in the united states. this whole facility was not even here a year ago. >> reporter: then it's off to their facility in boulder for mixing and packaging. >> you have to have the test done. what we're using and how much cbd and thc is in it. then we dilute it down to the .3% per thc. >> reporter: moist cbd products even from hemp have trace amounts of thc which can be a major turnoff for some, especially people tested for work. it's something megan rapinoe grapples with. >> there's certain periods in competition that thc is banned but cbd is legal.

everything you put in your body is your responsibility. that's the blanket disclaimer. >> reporter: that's why she joined her twin sister to start a thc-free line of products designed specifically with pro-athletes in mind. megan uses cbd as a part of her recovery process. so you're taking cbd for more than just pain. >> yeah, i look at it as an overall approach to health in my life. >> reporter: for her sister rachel, it's a chance to change the game and how athletes manage their pain. >> you know, it became very clear to me, after using cbd for three years, this stuff works, and we need to do a better job as a society of taking care of our athletes. so my solution was to start a company. >> reporter: the industry's sort of the wild, wild west, how do you navigate it? >> some of us are trying to do it the right way. as the fda comes out with more regulations we hope it will weed

the bad eggs out many. >> reporter: companies like hers and warfighter say they're taking it upon themselves to ensure quality, sending it to third-party labs like this one for testing. very bad companies not really caring what they put in the cbd, and those who don't even have cbd. the public have to do their own due diligence because regulations have not been strong enough. >> reporter: as it stands u t, fda has only approved it for two rare forms of child epilepsy. >> other than that, the fda has not approved cbd for any indication. why? research is needed. >> reporter: they is is pput ou disclaimer. >> i don't think it can

alleviate many symptoms. there's never been a wonder drug, but can cbd help on certain conditions for certain disorders? absolutely, but we need more clinical trials to be able to give the fda evidence for them to make the decision about. >> reporter: but folks like the rapinoes, sergeant hayhearst and farris are undoubtedly believers and can't wait to see what's next. >> i hoped and dreamt that it would be this large and as exciting to see that people are starting to understand and seeing the benefits of cbd and all the other cannabinoids that we are just learning about. >> reporter: what do you have to say to people who say it doesn't work? >> i would say try it first. it's not going to do every single thing, but i think that there are a lot of like very tangible benefits. >> reporter: there's such little research done on cbd, does that co i i

was 27. i've essentially been retired since. those first years were rough, and i wasn't much of a husband or father. since i've started to get a handle on things, i'm 41 and retired, so i have all the time in the world to spend with my kids and my wife and to do, you know, the things that i want to do with them. and i wouldn't trade that for the world. up next, need a hug? the cow-cuddling therapy craze, but not everyone's embracing it. plaque psoriasis. e now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer, yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin ♪ yeah that's all me. ♪ nothing and me go hand ind ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin ♪ that's my new plan. ♪ nothing is everything. keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ i see nothing in a different way ♪

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farm-to-table trend. barnyard therapists who don't even have to say a word to help. here's abc's maggie rulli. ♪ >> reporter: she and her therapy horse are quite the sight. flirty always attracts a attention. >> going out with flirty is definitely interesting. >> reporter: flirty even took to the skies. >> the faa has just cleared miniature horses to fly. >> it was the first time flirty had ever flown. everybody at the airport was really nice and helpful. the experience itself was really and truly one of the most freeing experiences that i've had recently. it's not something i plan on doing a lot, just because it is a lot to ask with flirty. >> reporter: but not everyone was thrilled to see a horse on a plane. one woman, speaking out to "inside edition" to express her concerns. >> i wanted to say it's a little bit crazy. i i don't think it's a good

idea. >> reporter: she says she battled ptsd for years before it was suggested a service animal might help her symptoms. >> i was allergic to dogs. miniature horses are the only alternative allowed under the ada. we just immediately had a connection. before i have an anxiety attack she can predict. she will sit there and nudge me until i start to calm down. >> reporter: the use of service animals has expanded over the years. once reserved for vision and hearing-impaired, service animals are now commonly seen in courtrooms to assist children during difficult testimonies and by veterans who suffer with ptsd. >> horses are much better suited for mobility assistance. miniature horse will be approximately 35 years old. so that's about the life-span of two to three service dogs.

>> generally, when we hear the words service animal or service dog, those are specifically trained animals. the presence of that animal is soothing and comforting. >> reporter: you may have noticed flying comfort animals have skyrocketed in recent years. united saw a 77% increase from 2016 to 2017. and delta has seen its numbers double in the recent past. most of these animals are accepted. one woman was banned when she tried to get her peacock on the plane. >> people are always trying to get their dog on an airplane. you know it's just a matter of time before someone brings a horse on a plane. >> unfortunately, i think the influx of all kinds of animals on planes and public transportation in general has possibly swung the pendulum a little bit too far.

>> reporter: in upstate new york, a different kind of emotional support animal is providing moo-ving experiences. meet bella and bonnie, the comfort cows. hey, bella! >> bella! it's like calling your dogs. >> hi, bella. >> reporter: suzanne and rudy own and operate mountain horse farm. the guests come here for one specific service that's generating a lot of buzz. cow cuddling. >> it naturally relaxes you. a lot of people are looking for mindfulness, ways to calm down their head. when you're with a large animal like that, they command your presence, are you right there. and that creates a natural mindfulness. >> reporter: it's a practice suzanne hails from her native netherlands, cow hugging. it's meant to get people back in touch with nature. is petting part of the therapy as well?

>> yes. >> reporter: what does this do? >> touching another, you know, living being. >> reporter: mm-hm. >> kind of relaxes you. and it's very similar to you getting a massage. and the benefits are very similar as well. >> reporter: before long, it was time to head out to the pasture for the real deal. hi! feel neat? >> reporter: she's so still right now, her body's so calm and so warm. so when you're curled up in this little nook, it brings this peace. >> it does. >> reporter: what do people say to you when they come and lay down with the cow for the first time? >> this is always the most favorite moment of the time with them. because it's, what you said, it makes you go so quiet. and it's so relaxing, and it's such a joy that they want to connect with you that way. >> reporter: sharon from buffalo new york is ready for that special moment. why cows? >> i don't know.

we have boxer dogs, so our boxer has that jersey kind of look to her, and i just said, wonder if you can pet a cow. so i got on the internet at work and searched petting cows, new york, and it popped up. it really exists. two months ago, i said, babe, we're going here for my birthday. >> no, i thought shy we was kidding. she wants to pet the cows. so here we are. >> reporter: what do you expect from today? >> honestly, i hope they like me as weird as that sounds. >> hi, pretty girl. >> oh, you're so sweet. >> if you would sit in between her legs she would put her head in your lap. >> reporter: it looks like the cuddle session was a success. what did you think? >> it was amazing. >> you felt like they could understand you. >> it was surprisingly relaxing. would you think interacting with a big animal would not be relax.

>> it was very calming, i loved it. >> reporter: but for some, it's more than a stress-free afternoon. >> my treatment team was concerned i wouldn't live more than a year or two without having a service animal. she's been a huge life safer, and i'm very great fwl to have her. >> reporter: a trusted companions providing a bond to heal. maggie rulli, upstate new york. >> and we'll be right back. to severe crohn's disease. ate then i realized something was missing... me. my symptoms were keeping me from being there. so, i talked to my doctor and learned humira is for people who still have symptoms of crohn's disease after trying other medications. and the majority of people on humira saw significant symptom relief and many achieved remission in as little as 4 weeks. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened;

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