Mississippi Cannabis News
My fight to unlock cannabis and psychedelic drugs for use in medical research
Sue Sisley’s team has grown whole psilocybin-producing mushrooms for clinical trials.Credit: Andrew Neugebauer/STOKE Creative
From the earliest days of her career, physician Sue Sisley has been passionate about caring for US military veterans. Back then, many of the people she treated were self-medicating with black-market cannabis because, unlike prescription drugs, marijuana allayed nightmares and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A few puffs helped them to fall asleep.
“Initially, I discouraged them and rolled my eyes thinking about it,” says Sisley, whose training taught her to view only approved drugs as medicines. “I lacked sympathy for their claims and thought they were drug seekers.”
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But over time, Sisley saw how the ineffectiveness of mental-health treatments could fuel hopelessness. Currently, 17 US veterans die by suicide daily, on average. The cannabis users among Sisley’s patients were often the ones who maintained a will to live.
“It made me realize that I was very misled, by the government and our training programmes, to believe that cannabis was dangerous,” she says. “I didn’t learn about any medical benefits.”
The early lessons from her patients influenced Sisley. Over the next two decades, she challenged US federal agencies, navigated a legal and regulatory maze and creatively secured funding to investigate and develop treatments, based on cannabis and psychedelics, that the US government had blocked for decades.
A physician-researcher is born
After the US Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis was made illegal and classified as a Schedule I drug, defined as having no accepted medical use. That put marijuana in the same category as heroin and most psychedelic drugs: possession or use of the drug, and growing cannabis without a Schedule I research licence, could land someone in prison.
In the mid-1990s, several US states began defying federal law, allowing adults to purchase cannabis for medicinal purposes. In 2008, when medical marijuana was still off limits in Arizona, Sisley was one of the few physicians who spoke publicly about legalizing it. Her advocacy caught the attention of Rick Doblin, who sought to get certain psychedelic drugs and cannabis taken off Schedule I so that they could be studied and any medical benefits reaped.
Sisley (centre) visits the Texas state capitol to advocate for research on psychedelics.Credit: Andrew Neugebauer/STOKE Creative
Doblin founded a US non-profit body, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), to raise money from private donors for clinical trials. He approached Sisley to lead a cannabis study.
Although she lacked a background in research, Sisley was an associate professor of psychiatry and assistant director of telemedicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, and Doblin saw her potential. “What really appealed to me is that Sue looks to where science is being blocked by politics, and she’s willing to stand up for what she thinks is right,” he says.
In 2014, Sisley and MAPS received nearly US$2.2 million from the state of Colorado. With approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they were poised to lead the world’s first randomized controlled trial of smoked cannabis as a treatment for PTSD in veterans.
But then the University of Arizona declined to renew Sisley’s contract. Although Sisley says that the university simply stated that her services were no longer needed, she thinks there were political pressures involved.
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“Even though it was legitimate research” and Arizona voters had approved the medical use of marijuana in 2010, Sisley says, “I believe some legislators did not want anything related to cannabis to have a place at the university.”
In the end, however, the termination of her contract “turned out to be a huge gift”, she says. She learnt that she didn’t need a university or hospital to lead the research. In fact, she now thinks the bureaucracy might have slowed her down. In the following two years, Sisley co-founded the Scottsdale Research Institute, purchased a building for it in Phoenix, Arizona, and built a laboratory to begin her study.
In 2016, as she prepared to enrol participants, the cannabis for the study arrived. At the time, the University of Mississippi in Oxford was the sole US government-approved provider of cannabis for use in human research. But when Sisley opened the box, she was horrified. The cannabis was mouldy, pulverized into powder and littered with twigs. It was nothing like the buds sold at dispensaries, and some participants had difficulty in inhaling it because it irritated their throats.
Sisley’s team found that participants who smoked cannabis showed improvement over the placebo group, but not enough to demonstrate statistical significance (M. O. Bonn-Miller et al. PLoS ONE 16, e0246990; 2021). Sisley thought that if participants had access to the cannabis available in dispensaries, they might have tolerated it better and experienced more benefits.
To raise awareness about barriers to cannabis research, Sisley went on a speaking tour (together with Dodger, her guide dog). In 2019, at the South by Southwest conference on music, film, culture and technology in Austin, Texas, she described what was, by then, a ten-year battle to complete her clinical trial, and a move by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that might help. In 2016, the agency had announced a policy that aimed to broaden the government’s cannabis supply, so Sisley applied for a Schedule I licence to grow cannabis for a phase IIb trial. But, after two-and-a-half years, the DEA still had not processed her application.
Suing the government for science
Matthew Zorn, an attorney based in Houston, Texas, attended Sisley’s talk. He had become interested in marijuana as a pain treatment while caring for his partner, who later died of bone cancer, and was angered by the red tape surrounding the drug supply for trials. “All Sue was trying to do was advance research. She did everything by the book,” says Zorn. If the cannabis used in a trial “is garbage, of course you can’t prove something is safe and efficacious, and then it’s not going to be available for patients”.
Zorn recruited his colleague Shane Pennington, then also based in Houston, who had experience of bringing cases against federal agencies. Together, representing Sisley pro bono, they helped her to sue the DEA in 2019.
Sue Sisley speaks at the 2025 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.Credit: Andrew Neugebauer/STOKE Creative
The lawsuit prompted the US Office of Legal Counsel to release a memo that revealed why the DEA had been sitting on Sisley’s cannabis application. The US government had handed over control of the cannabis supply for medical trials to the University of Mississippi when, under the terms of an international treaty, it was supposed to ensure that a single government agency possessed and distributed the supply.
With the memo’s release, “they realized they had to do something”, says Anthony Coulson, former assistant special agent in charge of the DEA’s district office in Tucson, Arizona. “Sisley’s lawsuit forced the DEA to the table.”
Two months after the lawsuit was filed, the DEA began processing Sisley’s application and dozens from other US scientists, allowing them to grow medical-grade cannabis for research studies. This was crucial, because cannabis used in phase III trials must match what’s on the market for patients, whereas the government’s supply of cannabis did not.
“Because of Sue’s years of sacrifice, she built a foundation for every single cannabis researcher,” says Coulson.
Sisley’s case was settled in 2020, and she feels the struggle was worth it (see ‘Quick-fire Q&A’). “There are so many people suffering who might get their lives back and benefit from this research.”
Around this time, Sisley heard from people who were self-administering the drug psilocybin, found in certain mushrooms, to treat conditions such as cluster headaches and suicidality. She began reading up on psilocybin therapy and learnt that just a few sessions could suppress PTSD symptoms for months or years, although participants had to meet with therapists to prepare for and learn from their psychedelic experiences. By contrast, people typically smoke cannabis daily to maintain its effects.
After Sisley received her cannabis Schedule I licence, she quickly filed an application to farm psilocybin-producing mushrooms. The DEA approved it immediately and “seemed to be cheering for us”, says Sisley.
Coulson has a theory about why the agency — which not only enforces drug laws but also has a core value of enhancing public health — might now be on Sisley’s side. “They want her to succeed because she is driven to move the science forward by a greater altruistic motive of helping patients,” he says. “Once you get to know her, you realize there’s no outside agenda. That’s the magic with Sue.” Since he retired from the DEA in 2010, he has acted as a consultant for Sisley while she built the infrastructure for her studies.
A quest to study natural medicines
In current psilocybin clinical trials, participants receive a synthetic version of the drug that offers precise dosing, which appeals both to the FDA and to pharmaceutical companies.
But Sisley is eager to change that. She wants to study whole mushrooms to investigate whether the diverse chemicals in them provide health benefits. She also sees potential to develop more-affordable treatments, because mushrooms can be grown inexpensively.
Now, Sisley is striving to lead the world’s first FDA-approved study of whole mushrooms containing psilocybin. But once again, she has had to overcome several obstacles.
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First, she had to work out how to deliver mushrooms to meet the FDA’s dosing standards. But there was no published protocol for this.
Nicole Nichols, executive director of the Scottsdale Research Institute, grows edible mushrooms and volunteered to develop such a protocol. Initially, she and Sisley tried delivering mushrooms in a warm tea, but the results were erratic. Then they tried using pills, but realized that it would take 18 capsules to deliver the required dose.
Eventually, they experimented with chocolate, which masked the mushrooms’ unpalatable flavour and served as a protective wrap that stabilized psilocybin. After consistently hitting the FDA’s dosing requirements, they published their protocol (R. Goff et al. Anal. Chim. Acta 1288, 342161; 2024).
“We’re getting inquiries from investigators all over the world who want access to federally legal mushrooms that are standardized,” says Sisley.
Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
Mississippi Cannabis News
Dozen arrested after south Mississippi bust for illegal sales to underage customers
An investigation into south Mississippi businesses selling “alcohol, dangerous illegal vapes, THC edibles,” and other age-restricted or illegal items to underage customers has resulted in at least a dozen arrests with more possible, according to law enforcement.
An announcement by the Perry County Sheriff’s Office said deputies began an investigation in early 2024 after fielding complaints that some businesses in the county were purposely allowing individuals under the age of 21 to purchase age-restricted products.
Sheriff Jacob Garner said as the investigation unfolded, it quickly became clear that the issue was not restricted to Perry County. Law enforcement in nearby Forrest, Lamar, Marion, Greene, Jefferson Davis, and Jones counties had received similar complaints about businesses in their jurisdictions.
Local agencies teamed up with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for over a year’s worth of identifying subjects, initiating traffic stops, and fielding more calls for service. It culminated on Sept. 11 after 20 search warrants were carried out, with 12 individuals being arrested for their involvement in the businesses selling alcohol, tobacco, and THC to minors.
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“Anyone who chooses to open a business in Perry County for the purpose of selling illegal narcotics, vapes, or THC products to children or adults will be arrested and prosecuted,” Garner said. “These items – disguised as safe or legal – are destroying lives and endangering the health and safety of our citizens. Business owners profiting off the harm of our children and adults in our county will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Garner added that many of the defendants, while operating in different counties, were working in tandem. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol aided in the investigation that remains active.
The following list of arrests and charges has been announced by the involved law enforcement agencies:
- Khaled Alhamidi, 55, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking while in possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance.
- Akram Alhamidi, 25, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking while in possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to sell a controlled substance.
- Omar Obaid, 40, of Hattiesburg: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance.
- Gaizan Abubaker, 37, of Houma, La.: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance.
- Rami Selah, 32, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking of a controlled substance while in possession of an enhanced firearm.
- Bassel Saleh, 53, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance.
- Mark Shaibi, 24, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
- Gabr Al-Gabri, 36, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking of a controlled substance while in possession of an enhanced firearm.
- Basel Rashad, 30, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking while in possession of a firearm.
- Anmed Elgabry, 30, of Petal: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance, trafficking of a controlled substance while in possession of an enhanced firearm.
- Mohammed Riyadh, 31, of Hattiesburg: Two counts of aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance.
- Ahmedou Mohamedlaamar, 22, of Perry County: Aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance.
Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
Donald Trump is reportedly looking at reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug in the US.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the 79-year-old president is ‘looking at’ making a huge change, which would make it easier to buy and sell weed, making the multibillion-dollar industry more profitable.
The publication’s sources claimed that during a recent fundraiser held at his New Jersey golf club, where tickets for the event went for a whopping $1 million each, the Republican leader first spoke of the potential plans.
He allegedly said he was ‘looking at’ possibly changing the classification of marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III substance.
In simple terms, this doesn’t mean it would make the drug completely legal across the US, but it would help ease restrictions on it.
Donald Trump is reportedly considering whether to reclassify marijuana in the US (Bloomberg/Getty Images)
At the event, speaking of tweaking the federal restrictions for the drug, Trump allegedly said: “We need to look at that. That’s something we’re going to look at.”
Then, according to The Telegraph, speaking at a press conference on Monday, the US president affirmed: “We’re looking at reclassification, and we’ll make a determination over, I’d say, the next few weeks.”
He reportedly added that the decision is ‘very complicated’ – so, let’s break it down.
How do US marijuana laws work?
At a federal level, marijuana remains illegal in the US as per the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, however, many states have made their own rules for cannabis use.
As we mentioned earlier, it’s federally classified as a Schedule I drug – this means that federal law considers it to have a ‘high potential for abuse’ and ‘no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States’.
But, despite its federal classification, 24 states plus the District of Columbia have fully legalised weed, meanwhile others have opted to only allow it for medicinal purposes.
Cannabis legalisation in individual states can be done in a number of ways, ranging from fully illegal to legal for both medicinal and recreational use.
If you’re in a state that has completely legalised recreational marijuana and you’re 21 or older, you have the right to use cannabis products for your own personal enjoyment.
However, this doesn’t always mean it’s legal to purchase – confusing, I know.
For example, while it’s illegal to buy marijuana in Washington, DC, it’s legal for anyone 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of it and grow up to six marijuana plants in the district.
So essentially, it’s all down to the state you’re in and their specific regulations.
America’s cannabis laws can be a tricky subject to wrap your head around (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
What would happen if marijuana became a Schedule III drug?
If Trump were to go ahead and reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, this would be a pretty big change up and down America.
According to the US government’s website, Schedule III drugs are defined as drugs ‘with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence’ and their ‘abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs’.
Some examples of Schedule III drugs are products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit, such as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone.
Meanwhile, Schedule I drugs are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Some examples include heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and as of right now, marijuana.
It’s important to note that the switch up would not make marijuana completely legal – it would just help ease restrictions and create more opportunities for medical uses and possible tax breaks for marijuana companies.
The Republican leader is said to be ‘looking at’ possibly switching marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug (Emilija Manevska/Getty Images)
Which US states is marijuana currently legal in?
States where marijuana is fully legal:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
States where marijuana is legal for medical purposes only:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia (CBD oil only)
- Hawaii
- Indiana (CBD oil only)
- Iowa (CBD oil only)
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (CBD oil only)
- Texas
- Utah
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (CBD oil only)
- Wyoming (CBD oil only)
Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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