Renowned medical marijuana researcher gives lecture on benefits

Dr. Sue Sisley, medical director for The Grove dispensary in Pahrump, said more and more people she’s spoken to are now embracing the benefits of medical marijuana after years of pushback from anti-drug organizations and governmental agencies.

Sisley, a member of the Nevada State Medical Marijuana Commission who is renowned for her years of work in the field, provided a lecture on Thursday at the Pahrump Senior Center regarding what she deemed are the benefits of cannabis as it relates to treating patients suffering from numerous ailments, especially pain control.

Last week’s visit, she said, was part of her “Silver Tour.”

She was accompanied by several representatives from The Grove.

“We are interacting with seniors in their respective communities and they are really hungry for the information because they are desperately seeking alternatives to some of these awful pharmaceutical medications and cannabis offers just that,” she said.

Sisley said as the lecture tour progressed, each community she’s visited drew much enthusiasm from attendees.

“It’s due to people wanting to learn more about the plant, but not necessarily jumping in and getting a card,” she said. “They are really trying to understand how the plant works and how they could possibly get off some of their conventional meds. Others are curious and want to know more about it, and many are already sold on it. They have been incredibly welcoming.”

One faction that at present does not share that enthusiasm Sisley said, is the Drug Enforcement Agency, who still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

That classification currently recognizes cannabis as a compound with no accepted medical use, along with a high potential for abuse.

Schedule I drugs, according to the federal government, are the most dangerous drugs with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.

Examples of other Schedule I drugs are heroin, Quaaludes, ecstasy and LSD.

Conversely, cocaine, methamphetamines and pharmaceuticals such as OxyContin, Vicodin and several other prescribed drugs are under the Schedule II classification.

They are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.

Sisley noted that many senior citizens are confused about the classifications.

“Marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I dangerous drug and that’s why many of these seniors were initially reluctant and so concerned about the laws surrounding marijuana,” she said. “These are the same people who grew up during the “Reefer Madness” era, so they also have a hard time envisioning cannabis as medicine.”

Additionally, Sisley noted that word of mouth is opening the minds of seniors.

“Some of their friends or family have been on cannabis and have expressed their good experiences in regard to it,” she said. “When they come to these lectures, they see the immense amount of scientific data and literature. There’s been many times they’ve pulled me aside and told me that they have been misled on this issue by the government.”

Another topic of discussion was this year’s ballot question pertaining to the legalization of recreational marijuana by Nevada voters.

Sisley still encourages seniors and other residents to apply for a medical marijuana card to ensure they can have access to the product as soon as possible.

“We have no idea whether the November ballot question relating to the recreational use of marijuana in Nevada is going to pass,” she said. “Many of these patients need immediate legal access to cannabis right now because a lot of these patients are suffering now, so they can’t wait until what happens in November.”

Sisley also noted that even if the ballot question does pass in favor of recreational use, it will still take some time before the product is available to adults.

“It’s still going to be another year until Nevada actually gets a regulated program in place, plus you have to renew the card every year anyway,” she said. “If it passes, then they can choose not to renew it.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes