In this week's issue we follow-up from where our cover story left off on marijuana/PTSD researcher and UA assistant professor Sue Sisley and her termination from the UA. After going to press, an announcement went out that a group of veterans assembled at the UA College of Medicine in Phoenix and an Arizona Board of Regents meeting on Tuesday, July 2 to demand Sisley be reinstated.

From a press release sent by Sisley's research sponsor, http://www.maps.org/Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MAPS:

Were it not for the efforts of Dr. Sisley over the last several years, this research for veterans would not exist. MAPS, the non-profit study sponsor, has stated publicly that they will not continue this research at the University of Arizona without Dr. Sisley as the Principal Investigator.

Veterans and other PTSD patients will read letters urging the study to be implemented immediately with Dr. Sisley as Principal Investigator. Veterans will also read the appeal from Dr. Sisley’s legal team and hand-deliver this letter to both:

1) Dr. Stuart Flynn, Dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix at 1:00 pm
2) Eileen Klein, President, Arizona Board of Regents at 2:00 pm

Ricardo Pereyda, the veteran I interviewed for last week's cover, has put together a petition on Change.org.

The petition has collected almost 74,000 signatures and has more than 1,500 to go to reach Pereyda's goal. Each signature send this message to UA President Ann Weaver Hart:

To: Ann Weaver Hart, President, University of Arizona
Arizona Board Of Regents
I am absolutely outraged that the university has elected not to continue Dr. Suzanne Sisley’s academic appointment after September 27th.

I implore you to reverse your decision and support Dr. Sisley’s federally approved research to study use of medical marijuana by veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.

Renew Dr. Sisley’s academic appointment immediately and provide the physical resources necessary to start this clinical trial. Support the core principle of academic freedom and immediately rectify the unjust, immoral and unpatriotic termination of Dr. Sisley.

Don’t turn your back on Veterans. Conduct the research.
Sincerely,
[Your name]

Here are several documents we promised to post on the Range:

The July 9 letter from the UA to Sisely on her termination

070914SisleyLetter.pdf

The letter from Sisley's research sponsor, MAPS, to the UA

Letter_from_MAPS_to_UA.pdf

Sisley's appeal to the UA

Sisley_Appeal_to_UofA__1_.pdf

The Weekly will continue to follow the story and Sisley's appeal process.