Robert Page, PharmD: Marijuana and Cardiovascular Health

This episode of Practical Cardiology features Robert L. Page II, PharmD, a professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and co-author of a recent scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) describing the current state of understanding regarding marijuana and its effect on cardiovascular health.

Page describes the statement as a “call to action” for more research into the effects of marijuana, in both medicinal and recreational settings on overall, but specifically cardiovascular health, as legalization seems to become more commonplace than a rarity. The statement outlines the increased risk of cardiovascular complications seen with marijuana use in observational studies but also highlights the lack of prospective studies examining the issue due to its schedule 1 status.

Practicing in Colorado, Page speaks from a research background and anecdotally from his own personal point of view as he discusses the impact he has seen marijuana legalization have on cardiovascular health at a population level.