Pubdate: Thu, 18 Sep 2014
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2014 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: Mari Herreras

ARIZONA WANTED

Most of an ousted UA researcher's marijuana/PTSD study will find a home
in Colorado, but Sue Sisley still hopes a part of it remains in Arizona

It's not as if the odds of Sue Sisley being reinstated as a professor
at the UA are in her favor, but the psychiatrist hopes that part of
her study testing marijuana's effectiveness in treating veterans with
post-traumatic stress disorder, will at the very least remain in Arizona.

Right now, if any chance exists, it's at ASU, but Sisley doesn't know
when the Tempe school's administration will make a formal decision or
announcement.

However, it's not as if the psychiatrist has been sitting around
waiting for a champion since the UA administration notified her in
late June that it wouldn't renew her contracts with the school, and
unsuccessfully tried to replace her with a new principal investigator
to continue the research she started.

The problem for the UA all along in getting rid of Sisley, in what she
has always claimed was due to political pressure from a far-right
state legislature that holds the education purse strings, is that two
groups have steadfastly remained on her side: her research sponsor,
the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and a
growing group of military veterans tired of waiting for help as an
estimated 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Some say that number
is conservative.

While the UA communicated with MAPS that it wanted to keep the
research at the UA, but with a new investigator, MAPS said no. Sisley
and her attorney's filed an appeal, but that was rejected by the UA
administration in late July. So Sisley and MAPS looked elsewhere.

Sisley told the Weekly that University of Colorado-Denver has offered
part of the study a home and she and MAPS just received an invitation
to another Colorado school and will announce those details soon.
What's more remarkable is that Colorado has also offered needed
funding through the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.
Colorado's state legislature passed a bill to create a medical
marijuana research grant protect for up to 15 projects to use close to
$9 million the state accrued from medical marijuana reserves from
patient registrations.

Sisley said the reception in Colorado has been so different from the
fear and rejection she's experienced in Arizona. In Denver recently
for a continuing medical education conference specifically for medical
marijuana doctors, Sisley said she received a two-minute standing
ovation after she spoke about her work and her recent challenges.

And while going back to the UA isn't an option, somehow the veterans
backing Sisley and her work aren't giving up on at least getting
answers and maybe some justice.

Sean Kiernan, a veteran and founder of Veterans for Doctor Sue Sisley
MD & PTSD Research, sent a letter to the Arizona Board of Regents on
Sept. 11 asking that ABOR request an independent review of "the
circumstances surrounding the termination" of Sisley. Kierman said he
plans to attend the next ABOR meeting at NAU on Thursday, Sept. 25,
and will speak with other veterans. They hope for a large turn-out,
but Kierman said he can't guarantee they will pack the house.

In his letter, Kierman explains to ABOR that Sisley's research is
essentially a matter of an emergency-if it mirrors anecdotal evidence
veterans provided to Sisley and others over the years, that marijuana
treats PTSD symptoms better than the VA prescription medications
they've received-then the study can save lives.

"This country is losing 22 of its veterans per day to suicide. That is
over 8,000 deaths per year, and over 16,000 deaths since late 2012
when the University of Arizona's Independent Review Board approved a
study put forward by Dr. Sue Sisley that would have studied the use of
Cannabis as a tool in alleviating symptoms related to PTSD in
veterans," he wrote.

"To underscore the magnitude of this unfolding national tragedy, I
want to highlight that the 16,000 suicides since late 2012 is 235%
higher than the total number of US service members this country has
lost fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Now, due to Arizona politics and a university easily controlled by
legislator whims, Sisley's research has been further delayed. And
because of that-how Sisley was terminated-Kierman and his fellow
veterans are asking that an independent review take place. "A
transparent accounting of the circumstances surrounding this issue is
of grave importance to citizens of the great State of Arizona and this
Country's Veterans who risked life and limb to uphold the very ideals
that seem to have been called into question here."

"To paraphrase a quote based on Dante's Inferno, 'The hottest places
in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve
their neutrality.' This board has the power and moral imperative to
act on this request without delay," Kierman wrote.

One reason why the ASU option remains important to Sisley, is that in
order to qualify for the state funding from Colorado to pay for the
study, she needs three sites confirmed. Right now she has two, but
that third is needed in order to present Colorado officials an
accurate budget.

While supporters who've talked with ASU President Michael Crow have
said it looks positive, Sisley said her experience the past two years
with the UA have made her realize that she won't feel confident until
a written contract is put in front of her.

"I want to see ASU show some leadership, but if there's nothing in
writing it doesn't exist ... they are going to have to prove to the
vets they are serious. Believe me, they've been welcoming and gracious
and have acted like they wanted this research, but the UA did that to
me, too," Sisley said.

Sisley added that to meet requirements for Colorado, she needs to know
by Sept. 20.

But like the veterans who support her work, Sisley also wants justice,
or at least some transparency. She's heard some veterans complain that
they may not be allowed to speak at the ABOR meeting, especially if
they arrive in the hundreds.

Veteran Louis Nevitt sent an email to Crow and ABOR asking that all
veterans who attend be allowed to address the representatives during
call to audience. Nevitt shared that they had been assured that time,
but he wants additional confirmation. At past meeting, rather than
allow veterans to air concerns, the board has gone into executive
session, in effect preventing the veterans' testimony from going on
record.

No one has responded to his concerns.
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MAP posted-by: Matt