Medical marijuana "researcher" fired by U of A

From the LA Times:

The University of Arizona has abruptly fired a prominent marijuana researcher who only months ago received rare approval from federal drug officials to study the effects of pot on patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

The firing of Suzanne A. Sisley, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, puts her research in jeopardy and has sparked indignation from medical marijuana advocates.

I bet. Interestingly I see no evidence on PubMed that this Sisley person has any expertise in conducting research at all. I’m not saying I need exhaustive credentials but I’d like to see a published study or two.

Cue the usual raving about how this is all a vast right wing conspiracy to keep down miraculous medication…

Sisley charges she was fired after her research – and her personal political crusading – created unwanted attention for the university from legislative Republicans who control its purse strings.

“This is a clear political retaliation for the advocacy and education I have been providing the public and lawmakers,” Sisley said. “I pulled all my evaluations and this is not about my job performance.”

Well, this IS Arizona we’re talking about. I’m going to want to see more* but I guess I am going to have to score myself as sympathetic to the notion that this was a political squelching.
Still, the University is denying the charge…

University officials declined to explain why Sisley’s contract was not renewed, but objected to her characterization.

“The university has received no political pressure to terminate any employee,” said Chris Sigurdson, a university spokesman. He said the university embraces research of medical marijuana, noting that it supported a legislative measure in 2013 permitting such studies to be done on state campuses.

Ok, “embraces”, eh? We’ll see if that turns out to be true.

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h/t: clbs

*if this holds true to form the University will be compelled to make a case for how she wasn’t competent at the “clinical assistant professor” category of association with U of A.