Backers of a would-be medical marijuana researcher are now planning to pressure the Board of Regents to intercede to keep the project in the state. Arizona Public Radio’s Howard Fischer reports.
On Monday the University of Arizona rejected the appeal by Dr. Sue Sisley to be restored to the faculty. The net effect is that Sisley finds herself without a home for her plan to research whether marijuana can help those with post-traumatic stress disorder. Sisley said she had approached Northern Arizona University President John Haeger who wrote back that the issue, which has received a lot of publicity, likely would require the attention of the regents. So Ric Pereyda, a veteran who suffers from PTSD, said that is the next logical step.
“The Board of Regents would be able to facilitate those discussions as far as sitting down with Dr. Sisley and either the president of NAU or ASU to talk about this research and how it would be housed in their institutions,” Pereyda said.
Regents vice chairman Jay Heiler said he’s willing to listen to whatever Sisley’s supporters have to say at the next public meeting. But it remains doubtful the board will intercede.
“I would not, without really strong reason, seek to micromanage the research enterprises at the universities around an issue like this,” Heiler said.
But Heiler said he will listen to any arguments presented when the board meets in September.
