UC Merced Magazine | Volume XVIII, Issue IV

Lab Studies How Cannabis Might Mitigate High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease By Sam Yniguez When the national movement to legalize marijuana started gaining traction in the late ’90s and early 2000s, it caught the attention of Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Professor Rudy M. Ortiz, who began looking into how it could fit with his own research. Ortiz’s lab focuses on metabolism and how it is affected by different interventions, both pathological and physiological. Due to restrictions and limitations placed on cannabis research at the time, the pitch for his work – specifically with cannabidiol (CBD), which is one of the non-psychoactive chemical compounds (cannabinoids), found within cannabis – was based on data only available outside the United States. Those studies showed that cannabinoids had benefits in regulating metabolism and were behind the initial grant Ortiz received to delve further. “While we have found that there are greater benefits than detriments, we haven’t gone through all of the data,” said Ortiz. “And I think that if we are going to research CBD, we have a duty to identify what both the pros and cons are. This goes back to the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center’s mission of helping disseminate the information to help with policy.” The Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC), part of the Health Sciences Research Institute (HSRI), works to gather, understand and promote the thoughts and feelings of rural California residents on current tobacco and cannabis policy. Among the findings is the mitigating effect CBD has on hypertension, which is one of the risk factors that can lead to a condition known as metabolic syndrome and, ultimately, cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death in the country. Early results have been promising, but Ortiz stressed that even though the studies began in 2018, they are still very much a works in progress.

Next-Generation Advocates

To make this issue a priority among policymakers, Song urges people to show up at council meetings as well as the polls. Her experience and previous successes have proven that consistency is key to getting traction and that it will take a multi-pronged approach. One of those prongs involves a new program that trains undergrads to be tobacco control advocates. rough a partnership with CSU Stanislaus and Fresno State, faculty on all three campuses arm students with empirical data and then strategically place them in commu nities. In its second year, the program is already bearing fruit. “Our inaugural class is doing amazing things with some already working in public health,” said Song. “Others have gotten into top-tier graduate programs, and they tell me they aren’t done. ey want to get their Ph.D.s and are planning to come back and serve the Valley.” is program highlights the grassroots approach the NCPC has taken since the beginning and underscores the progress it has made in a relatively short amount of time. By working side-by-side and in the trenches with community advocates, the center became very familiar with the challenges they faced, including the need for the next generation of advocates to carry on when the current ones retire. Now there will be a fresh crop hitting the streets every year, thanks to the campus mentorship program. “A big reason why we have been success ful is our approach,” said Durazo. “We aren't outsiders coming in with an agenda. For several years now, we have built trust within communities and with leaders and organizations through the work we have done together.”

Ortiz’s research showed that, if caught early on, treatment could greatly reduce and sometimes completely ameliorate hypertension.

Ortiz is in the process of publishing his papers, applying for patents and securing another grant to further this work, which would include clinical trials. He said that, as regulations and the stigma surrounding cannabis continue to lift and as more funding becomes available, future studies will help people and policymakers better understand cannabis’s value.

“I wasn’t always interested in cannabis research, but I jumped on the bandwagon at the right time,” said Ortiz. “Now that we’re actually studying it and generating a lot of positive data, I’m interested to see what else we can do to contribute to that arena. I’m hopeful.”

Professor Rudy M. Ortiz

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