Dr. Sue Sisley, MD

 In Mary Jane Blog, Meet the Puffragettes

Dr. Sue Sisley MD is an Arizona-based physician practicing Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. She works as Medical Director for medical cannabis license holders in 12 different states/territories from Hawaii to Puerto Rico to New York.

Sue serves as Site Principal Investigator for the only FDA-approved randomized controlled trial in the world examining safety/efficacy of whole plant marijuana in combat veterans with treatment-resistant post traumatic stress disorder PTSD.  Dr. Sisley is on faculty at Colorado State University PUEBLO campus, recruited for core planning team to organize the CSUP “ICR Institute of Cannabis Research” in Pueblo, Colorado. 

Dr. Sisley has been a Member of Nevada ILAC Medical Cannabis Commission for the past two years outlining regulations for laboratory testing including limits on pesticides, residual solvents and other guidelines that are currently being used as a model for other states medical cannabis laws. She also serves on the Steering Committee for Thomas Jefferson University Lambert Cannabis Medical Research Center.

What social justice and/or criminal justice reforms do you want the U.S. to make around its drug policy, particularly around cannabis? 

Given the failure of the “war on drugs”, knowledgeable physicians should certainly question the wisdom of using the criminal justice system to prevent the misuse of drugs.  When it comes to cannabis prohibition, the solution is obvious.  Cannabis should be legalized, regulated and taxed.  Regulation of cannabis should follow principles of social justice and public health.  Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, an organization for which I serve as a board member, has outlined the following platform of regulations:

❧ Government oversight of cannabis production, testing, distribution, and sales.

❧ Detailed labeling of cannabis products, including (but not limited to) THC and CBD levels, dosing information, and ingredients.

❧ Restrictions on marketing and advertising of cannabis products.

❧ A ban on cannabis packaging and advertising that targets or attracts underage users.

❧ Child-resistant packaging for cannabis products.

❧ Penalties for adults who enable diversion of cannabis to minors.

❧ Adult education about the use and misuse of cannabis.

❧ Youth education about the risks of underage cannabis use.

❧ Taxation of the cannabis trade to fund research, education, substance abuse treatment, and community reinvestment.

❧ Protection of individual cultivation rights and small businesses in a competitive cannabis industry.

❧ Diversity in all aspects of the cannabis industry, rebuilding communities most affected by cannabis prohibition.

Social Media:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DrSueSisley/

Twitter: @suesisleymd

Instagram: www.instagram.com/suesisley/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-sisley-aa42611