A petition launched on Change.org by Arizona veteran Ricardo Pereyda has gathered over 105,000 signatures in support of MAPS and Dr. Sue Sisley’s efforts to initiate medical marijuana research in Arizona. Launched on July 10, the petition reached 100,000 signatures in just 21 days. Sign the petition…
The public outcry against Dr. Sisley’s dismissal from the University of Arizona has reached a national audience. On June 27, the University of Arizona notified Dr. Sisley that her university appointments would be terminated as of September 26. On July 28, the University of Arizona expectedly denied Dr. Sisley’s appeal for reinstatement, forcing Dr. Sisley to seek a new location for the study. On July 30, the University of Arizona proposed a replacement investigator, ignoring MAPS’ repeated public statements that we will stand behind Dr. Sisley wherever the study is ultimately conducted.
MAPS and Dr. Sisley are seeking a new location for the study within Arizona with reinstatement at the University of Arizona no longer a possibility. Multiple universities outside Arizona have already offered to host the study.
On July 22, Dr. Andrew Weil, founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, wrote a letter to University of Arizona President Dr. Ann Weaver Hart expressing his support for Dr. Sisley’s work. "Dr. Sisley has passionately chosen her professional obligation to patients over political pressure; she has chosen science over dogma; and has chosen integrity over censorship. This is the type of individual any University should want on their faculty."
Dr. Sisley has been working with MAPS since 2010 to initiate a study of the safety and effectiveness of whole plant marijuana, smoked or vaporized, in 70 U.S. veterans with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- CNN with Sanjay Gupta: University Drops Marijuana Researcher
- NBC: Pot Researcher Firing Unleashes Rising Veteran Backlash
- FOX 10 Phoenix: Vets Rally Behind Pot Researcher Set To Be Fired By the UofA
- Military Times: Pot-for-PTSD Researcher Denied Reinstatement
