Pubdate: Thu, 07 Apr 2016
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2016 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: Maria Ines Taracena

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Medical Marijuana Researcher Sue Sisley Briefly Came Back to the UA 
for a Special Lecture on the Challenges of Conducting Weed Research

Nearly two years after medical marijuana researcher Sue Sisley was 
fired from the UA, she returned for a special lecture on medical weed 
in front of a room of more than 50 people at the off-campus entity, 
the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute-an educational program for older adults.

The crowd was filled with questions about Sisley's research and the 
current UA administration's decisions to back away from a study that 
seeks to find answers on the soothing impact of marijuana on 
post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Recently, Sisley gave a similar chat at a retirement community, where 
she talked to hundreds of senior citizens about medicinal cannabis.

"The opportunity to talk to seniors is so valuable because, when it 
comes to the cannabis movement, they are the ones who can benefit the 
most from the therapeutic benefits. They want to understand why there 
isn't more research, more data to gather," she says

Coming back, Sisley feels triumphant.

Here she was at her former employer, after her contract was 
terminated, she claims, over political pressure from the conservative 
state Legislature against the UA administration. The move, which the 
university has denied, was due to Sisley's advocacy for weed 
research, temporarily halted her study. But as of today, she's 
accomplished even more with her work than what she could have with 
the UA by her side, Sisley says. Turns out the storm of publicity 
that came after really helped.

Sisley has found a location in north Phoenix to house her study, and 
will receive a schedule 1 license from the Drug Enforcement 
Administration in the next month, she says. When that happens, Sisley 
will finally be able to purchase marijuana from the National 
Institute on Drug Abuse and begin the trials with at least 50 veterans.

Other landmarks since being let go from the UA include the more than 
$2 million grant Sisley's study received from the Colorado Department 
of Public Health and Environment, as well as some golden partnerships 
with the University of Colorado in Denver, the University of 
Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University.

"[The three state universities] all turned their back on this work, 
that was a huge insult to the veteran community, who felt this was 
such essential research," she says. "We have a great comeback story, 
even after being tossed out. We are proving that this work can be 
done despite the short-sided decisions of the administration here. 
This is the critical question that needs to be answered through research."

But Sisley says she has no hard feelings against the UA and sees 
herself there in the future.

"I don't have resentment toward them," she says. "I am a Wildcat for 
life. I have tons of respect for the people who work in the trenches. 
I am deeply disappointed in the negligent decision of the people at 
the high levels of administration. Ultimately, we were better off. I 
envision us coming back here, even just collaborating on some 
research. Once [UA President Ann Weaver Hart] leaves, there will be a 
new era of progressive thinking where people realize the UA should be 
a sanctuary for this kind of work."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom