Arizona Veterans Needed for a Scottsdale-Based PTSD Marijuana Study

The first week of a 12-week study regarding medical marijuana’s effect on veterans with PTSD starts this week. The study is taking place at the Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona. A second portion of the study is being held at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Veterans participating in the study have 17-scheduled appointments with the clinics, according to Stars and Stripes. If you’d like to participate in Arizona’s study, send an email of interest to Arizona@marijuanasites.org. For participation in Baltimore’s study, call Johns Hopkins at 410-550-0050.

Leading the study in Arizona is Dr. Sue Sisley. She is a former VA psychiatrist.

Sisley said, regarding her research, that, “I could never reach that level of relief with traditional medications, so I knew I had to keep going.”

The American Legion supports medical marijuana for veterans with PTSD and other debilitating conditions. The organization is also pushing Congress to reschedule marijuana, or at least remove it from the Schedule I list.

Bill Detweiler of the American Legion said, “There are a lot of tools that are not being utilized. Here is an opportunity for the Legion to step forward and help [veterans] who are suffering from PTSD.”

Veterans had hope in 2016, but Congress crushed that hope by blocking provisions allowing VA doctors to speak to patients and recommend medical marijuana for treatment in states where it’s legal.

It is not said how many participants were starting the study today, but 76 total are needed.

Amy Anderson, of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies said, “We are thrilled to see this study overcome the hurdles of approval so we can begin gathering the data.”