PHOENIX - A University of Arizona physician has taken the first political steps in her bid to do medical marijuana research at state-run schools.
Sue Sisley, a specialist in internal medicine and psychiatry, has formed Americans for Scientific Freedom, which she will chair. The filing with the Secretary of State's Office will allow her to collect donations for political purposes.
But Sisley said the committee is not designed to elect legislators who support research or defeat those who oppose it. Instead, she wants to lobby lawmakers to change the law to let her do her work at the UA.
She also is looking at changes to the law to let the state health department fund medical marijuana research.
Legislation approved last year was designed to close what some lawmakers saw as a loophole in the state's 2010 medical marijuana law. That initiative allows those with a doctor's recommendation to possess and use up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks.
While the measure banned the drug on public school campuses, it was silent on the question of state-run universities and community colleges.
Rep. Amanda Reeve, R-Phoenix, said university officials told her they thought that loophole would violate federal regulations governing universities, which require they forbid students from having illegal controlled substances. Reeve said schools that fail to comply face loss of federal funding and financial assistance for students.
Gov. Jan Brewer eventually signed the legislation.
The problem, said Sisley, is the UA is now interpreting that law to ban her on-campus research.
Sisley said she gained approval nearly two years ago from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct a study to determine whether marijuana, in various dosages and methods of administration, can help combat veterans with post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Sisley said her proposal had already been approved by the UA's Institutional Review Board, which must give the go-ahead for research on live subjects. Next, she said she needs approval from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to sell her the drugs for study.
"Before the governor signed that ban about marijuana on campus, we were assuming that our study was going to be conducted on the university campus, which is the only real safe and appropriate forum for that," Sisley said. "I need to be in a place where my patients and my staff can feel safe."
But the university has now balked.
"Our policy is to comply with state law, which would prohibit conducting research using medical marijuana on institutional property," said UA spokesman Johnny Cruz.
That surprised Reeve, who said she talked with university officials while her measure was being considered last session.
"They said this doesn't impact medical research or studies being done," she said. "It only impacts the use of it."
Katie Paquet, spokeswoman for the state Board of Regents, which lobbied for the measure, said she could not comment on what was or was not told to Reeve. But Paquet echoed Cruz's position that the law, unless changed, makes on-campus research unacceptable.
Gubernatorial press aide Matthew Benson said his boss is willing to take another look at the issue.
Clearing up the question of where Sisley can do the research is only part of the problem. She still is looking for the approximately $250,000 she needs, mostly to pay what the DEA charges researchers for marijuana.
