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Top medicinal cannabis researcher emboldens medical marijuana legislation effort with visit

Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations says cannabidiol (CDB) oil invaluable in treating PTSD

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Leading marijuana researcher Dr. Sue Sisley wrapped her tour of Missouri last week, saying Missouri “is so ready for a comprehensive medical cannabis law.”

She first began her trip to Washington University School of Medicine and Anesthesiology, where she gave a lecture and met with all of the department heads. The following day, she traveled to Jefferson City where she met with Lt. Gov. Mike Parson and his staff and Governor Eric Greitens’ staff. At the Capitol, she met Rep. Jim Neely, who championed right-to-try last session and has also sponsored medical marijuana legislation.

“Missouri is so ready for a comprehensive medical cannabis law! Just finished a brief statewide tour,” Sisley wrote on her Facebook page following her trip. “Fantastic/unlikely conservative advocates emerging & MO will hopefully soon pass an MMJ Bill/Ballot Initiative!”

Neely, Sisley PHOTO/BETTER WAY MISSOURI

Sisley is the researcher responsible for the only government-financed project to investigate the medicinal properties of marijuana. Earlier this year, the FDA has approved the Scottsdale Research Institute to research the effects of cannabis for combat veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She will be providing a clinical look into specifically how cannabis consumption affects survivors of traumatic events and her work is considered one of the most important studies for veterans’ groups. Her research has gotten the approval of veterans advocacy groups around the country.

For Missouri veterans, Sisley’s work has been invaluable. To Tom Mundell, Chairman of the Missouri Association of Veteran Organizations, cannabis does a great deal for veterans dealing with PTSD. In his advocacy work for veterans, he interacts with service members who came back from deployment. Mundell meets with service members with both significant physical and mental injuries. After not seeing one group of veterans for over 10 months, he decided to check on them.

“When I left them, they were doing terribly. Psychologically, they were really depressed,” Mundell says. “One lady said, ‘We took our son.’ Another lady took their daughter, some people took their kids to Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska. They got on CBD and got off of 80% of the drugs they were on.”

Mundell is personally inspired by the work that Sisley has done for the veteran community of America. He mentioned she inspired him to research the medicinal effects of cannabis, a project that he has been undertaking for the past 40 months.

“I met her four years ago and I was inspired by her from the very beginning,” Mundell said. “Being a veteran myself, in seeing what she’s done, and being around so many of the patients that she’s worked with and seeing first hand what cannabis has really evolved into.”

“Missouri is clearly ready to move forward on medical cannabis,” Dr. Sue Sisley said. “The level of compassion that elected officials across the state have for suffering patients is incredible.”

Neely, a doctor, is looking forward to more solutions being available to Missourians, including medical cannabis.

“Missourians fighting for their lives don’t have time to wait for the FDA to approve investigational treatments that contain cannabis,” Neely said. “We need to do everything we can as a State to give more choices to people struggling with terminal illnesses.”

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