First Marijuana Testing for Vets with PTSD Underway in Phoenix; Volunteers Wanted
Phoenix New TimesFeb 11, 2017
The first-ever clinical study of smoked cannabis for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder took place in
Many more volunteers are needed, says the nonprofit medical-research group leading the study.
The
Over the next two years, the study will "evaluate the safety and efficacy of four different potencies of marijuana to manage symptoms of PTSD in 76 U.S. veterans," a MAPS news release states.
The first participant in the study used cannabis on Monday at a north
Half of the volunteers will take part in the study in
Researchers believe the results of the study could lead to
It took seven years and the overcoming of many obstacles to get to this step.
Dr.
Her interest in medical marijuana started early in her career. While working with veterans as a psychiatrist, she became convinced that anecdotal reports of marijuana relieving PTSD symptoms might have merit.
PTSD affects up to 20 percent of Iraq War veterans and about 15 percent of Vietnam War veterans, according to the
She and researchers at MAPS produced a 61-page scientific protocol to serve as a template for the research. Then, they began the arduous process of obtaining funding and federal approval.
Another big problem would be obtaining the weed for the study. The only marijuana that the federal government considers legal is grown on a 12-acre farm run by the
In order to get that pot to the study, MAPS had to negotiate approval from U.S.
They also had to find the perfect location for the study. Sisley wanted it conducted at the
UA fired her in 2014 under pressure from
At the time, UA officials said they wanted to land the PTSD-marijuana study, but not if Sisley was involved.
Meanwhile, 110,000 vets signed an online petition supporting the
MAPS decided to stick with Sisley and look for a different location.
She started a company in 2015 called
In April, the
The veterans will be tested on four kinds of marijuana. One is a placebo - a strain of marijuana that contains no THC, the plant's primary psychoactive chemical. Two strains will contain THC, at 6 and 12 percent. A fourth strain contains 6 percent cannabidiol, a constituent of marijuana believed to have medicinal value.
Volunteers smoke up to two joints' worth of marijuana every day from small pipes. Later, they'll self-administer marijuana at home on video.
They won't know which strain they're getting - and neither will researchers, at first.
The study requires 17 clinic visits over 12 weeks and a six-month follow-up visit, plus drug screenings to determine the THC levels in the vets' bloodstreams.
"We're just so grateful to finally enroll patients," Sisley told New Times on Friday. "This has been our dream that started seven years ago, to study whole-plant cannabis in this most-deserving population of veterans ... The government thought they could stonewall us until we got tired or walked away. But we're committed to doing this."
She credited activist veterans for their efforts over the years in lobbying politicians and bureaucrats to allow the study.
Now that it's up and running, though, finding participants is the new challenge. It's not easy to find qualified people because of rigorous criteria that helps ensure scientifically valid results.
Only two veterans of the 38 needed for the
More than 300 veterans total have been "screened out" since the study began actively seeking volunteers earlier this year, she said.
The study requires people who have been diagnosed with PTSD, preferably those whose conditions have resisted traditional treatments. Light and "irregular" users of marijuana, or nonusers, are also preferred, she said, adding that "dependent," daily users are not eligible.
Sisley and others working on the study have been going out to
The one place with the most eligible PTSD users, the
The local
"It's really unconscionable, and really speaks to their lack of commitment to science," she said. "I'm just asking them to allow us to hang up fliers, or at most a simple lecture to their medical staff. None of that is allowable."
Would-be volunteers don't have to rush - they have plenty of time to sign up for the two-year program. Sisley estimates she'll need to screen more than 1,000 vets to round out the 38 for the
The state
MAPS asks anyone interested in being a volunteer with the study in
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