Pot researcher fired for political reasons? Dr. Sue Sisley, the only researcher in the country who was given the approval by the federal government to study the effects of pot on veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was fired from the University of Arizona Medical Center. While officials gave no explanation for giving her the boot, Dr. Suzanne Sisley strongly believes that the university got scared of powerful Republicans like Arizona State Senator Kimberly Yee who can easily block funding for important projects.
Sole pot researcher fired because of angry Republicans, that is what some people believe.
In late May, 2014 the Obama administration made a drastic shift on marijuana by approving the very first study of the effects of the drug on soldiers suffering from PTSD.
Federal drug officials said yes to Sisley’s research just days after CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta appeared on a TV special to retract all previous statements he had made about the fact that marijuana should not be used for medical purposes.
Dr. Sue Sisley also known as Dr. Suzanne Sisley from the University of Arizona Medical Center was given the authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services to use pot grown from a farm in Mississippi belonging to the government for her study.
Suzanne Sisley’s selected 70 vets suffering from a severe form of post-traumatic stress disorder and started testing the drug on them.
She was quickly seeing results (like in the case of Sergeant Sean Kiernan who almost overdosed on medications after 4 years fighting abroad and was greatly aided by pot) and was eager to move ahead with her work – but all of that came to a halting stop on Friday when she received a termination letter from the university’s dean.
The memo stated that she was being fired because the university has the right to do so. No other explanation was given.
But the medical expert has few clues as to why she was given the boot. Since winning the government’s approval, she has attracted some unwanted attention to the school.
A handful of Republicans including Arizona State Senator Kimberly Yee worked extra hard to kill a bill that would provide money to Dr. Sue Sisley’s research.
Yee explained that she defeated the bill because she believes the funds would better serve to push campaigns that educate teenagers on the dangers of marijuana.
While she is unhappy that her study has been delayed, the researcher is hoping that another university will see the importance of her work and offer her a post.
