By Saundra Young, CNN
(CNN) -- A well-known medical marijuana researcher at the University of Arizona says a study she's been planning for four years has cost her her job.
Dr. Sue Sisley, a
clinical assistant professor in the college of medicine, has been with
the university for nearly eight years in several capacities. She has
been planning a pioneering study on marijuana's effect on veterans with
chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
"I was on the forefront
of the most controversial research happening at the university," said
Sisley, the study's principal investigator, said. "And they did not like
the optics of veterans smoking and vaporizing marijuana on their
campus, even in the context of a rigorous, FDA-approved, randomized
controlled trial."
That trial was designed
to look at the safety and efficacy of using marijuana to treat veterans
who suffer from PTSD and aren't responding to other approved treatments.
Seventy veterans were to participate in the randomized, triple-blind
study, in which five different potencies would be used; some would be
placebos and others would contain doses of up to 12%
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in pot.
For decades, studies to
determine the medical benefits of cannabis have been few and far between
because the Drug Enforcement Agency classifies it as a Schedule I drug
-- the most dangerous class of drugs. That puts it in the same category
as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Schedule I drugs are defined by the agency
as "drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential
for abuse."
Last year, a search of
the U.S. National Library of Medicine revealed 2,000 recent papers on
marijuana. But the majority explored the harm of marijuana; only 6%
investigated the benefits. It's yet another reason, Sisley says, that
this research is important for veterans all over the world.
"All the countries that
have vets suffering with PTSD are looking for new treatment options, so
the eyes of the world have been on this study for years now and have
propelled it forward."
Sisley, a psychiatrist,
has been working with vets with PTSD for 15 years. She claims that even
with the various government approvals of the study, dating back three
years, it was all contingent on the university providing a study
location -- something she says they failed to do.
Then last month Sisley
says she received notice that her three contracts would not be renewed
and she feels politics is behind the move.
Sisley said: "They won't
give us a reason and they certainly don't want to admit it's
political." She also said her job evaluations and performance have been
excellent, adding: "Job performance is not the issue here. It's about
the university being fearful of the word 'marijuana' and not wanting
their brand aligned with this research."
But now the university
is talking about it. While they will not discuss Sisley specifically,
Chris Sigurdson, a university spokesman, told CNN Thursday that several
employees, who were not involved in marijuana research, also received
non-renewal notices.
In a statement they say,
"The University of Arizona does not comment on personnel issues. In
regard to marijuana research, in general, in 2013, the UA championed
state legislation to ensure that universities could perform medical
marijuana research on campus ... The UA has not received political
pressure to terminate any employee as has been suggested in some media
and other reports."
In fact, Sigurdson says,
the university is committed to the study and has reached out to the
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which is
funding the study. "We have been in contact with MAPS, assured them that
we want to continue the research and will forward the candidate for the
principal investigator."
But MAPS is standing by Sisley:
"We told them that we
are glad they are interested in the research, but we haven't agreed to
do it with them," said Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of
MAPS. "Our goal is still to get Dr. Sisley back her job and we will
continue to support her in that. That's our preference."
Right now, they are still working with her.
"We'll be supporting her
and her lawyers' efforts to submit an appeal for her reinstatement at
the university," Brad Burge, MAPS' communications and marketing
director, added. "We expect to receive that proposal for the principal
investigator candidate from the University of Arizona, but we are going
to continue focusing on Dr. Sisley's appeal to the university."
In the meantime, Sisley, who hopes to get her job back, has hired a lawyer.
Politics dealt the
research a blow in April. State Sen. Kimberly Yee, who chairs the Senate
Education Committee, singlehandedly blocked a bill that would allow the
use of surplus state funds toward the study -- and others on the
beneficial effects of medical marijuana -- by refusing to allow a
hearing for the House-passed bill.
Yee would not discuss
Sisley's dismissal but said in a statement to CNN: "This $9 million of
state money could otherwise be used for much needed K-12 education
programs and drug abuse prevention. There was significant opposition
from the Arizona county prosecutors and veteran-led drug prevention
groups. I could not in good faith hear the bill in committee when it
came to the Senate."
Sisley says veterans deserve this research and she will not give up.
"We will somehow
persevere and find a home for this work. So if it's not at U of A it
will be somewhere. We are negotiating with several other universities."
On Wednesday, Will Humble, the director of Arizona's Department of Health Services, wrote on his official "director's blog"
that he authorized "the use of marijuana (under AMMA) for patients that
are currently undergoing conventional treatment for a diagnosis of
PTSD." However, he says, marijuana could only be used for palliative
care of PTSD symptoms, not for the treatment of the disorder.
