In 2018, Michigan became the first state in the Midwest to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Michigan and the state rank poorly relative to other states.
The CAnnabis Legalization in Michigan (CALM) lab has received funding from the NIH to study the cardiovascular health effects of cannabis use. We will recruit patients with high blood pressure from primary care clinics in Michigan for a 3-year prospective study. Existing research on the topic relied heavily on controlled laboratory studies, conducted using NIH-supplied cannabis that differs from cannabis used in the real world. Hence, generalizability and applicability to human health remain uncertain. We will adapt a mobile pharmacology laboratory approach to collect blood samples and assess the potency of cannabis products available to patients in Michigan.
