I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6991 

To establish the policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs on medicinal 

cannabis, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2022 

Mr. MOULTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish the policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

on medicinal cannabis, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICY 

4 ON MEDICINAL CANNABIS. 

5 (a) POLICY.—The policy of the Department of Vet6 erans Affairs on medicinal cannabis is as follows: 

7 (1) Veterans are encouraged to discuss their 

8 medicinal cannabis use with their health care pro9 viders without fear of negative repercussions. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 6991 IH

1 (2) Veterans shall not be denied any benefit 

2 under the laws administered by the Secretary of Vet3 erans Affairs by reason of cannabis use. 

4 (3) The participation of a veteran in a State5 legal marijuana program shall not affect the vet6 eran’s eligibility for care and services furnished by 

7 the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

8 (4) The use or possession of cannabis is prohib9 ited on all Department property and in all Depart10 ment facilities pursuant to Federal law, which ap11 plies at such locations and not the laws of the State 

12 where the property or facility is located. 

13 (5) Department medical providers shall honor 

14 the desires of their patients to seek alternative forms 

15 of treatment. 

16 (6) The Department of Veterans Affairs ac17 knowledges medicinal cannabis use may be a legiti18 mate alternative treatment and a Department med19 ical provider will not recommend a veteran for drug 

20 addiction treatment solely by reason of medicinal 

21 cannabis use. 

22 (7) Department medical providers are permitted 

23 to discuss cannabis use as part of comprehensive 

24 care planning and may adjust treatment plans as 

25 necessary. Treatment adjustment should be relevant 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 6991 IH

1 and a veteran should have the freedom to seek a sec2 ond opinion if the veteran feels the change is not 

3 fair. 

4 (8) Department medical providers will annotate 

5 a veteran’s cannabis use in the medical record of the 

6 veteran in order to have the information available in 

7 treatment planning. As with all clinical information, 

8 this is part of the confidential medical record and 

9 protected under patient privacy and confidentiality 

10 laws and regulations. Department medical providers 

11 will not record that a patient has a marijuana addic12 tion problem in their medical record if the patient is 

13 responsibly using medicinal cannabis. 

14 (9) Department clinicians shall follow Federal 

15 laws and regulations relating to medicinal cannabis. 

16 (10) Department medical providers may not be 

17 fired nor have any other adverse personnel action 

18 taken against them for discussing cannabis use with 

19 their patients. 

20 (11) Department scientists may conduct re21 search on cannabis benefits and risks under regu22 latory approval. 

23 (12) Department medical providers may not 

24 dissuade participation in non-Department medicinal 

25 cannabis research. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 6991 IH

1 (b) DISSEMINATION OF POLICY.—The Secretary of 

2 Veterans Affairs shall disseminate the policy under sub3 section (a) widely, including by displaying such policy 

4 prominently in all Department of Veterans Affairs hos5 pitals and clinics and online. 

6 (c) REPEAL IN EVENT OF FEDERAL LEGALIZA7 TION.—If the use of medicinal cannabis becomes legal 

8 under Federal law, the requirement under subsection 

9 (a)(4) shall be repealed. 

10 SEC. 2. SURVEY ON CANNABIS USE BY VETERANS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

12 shall seek to enter into an agreement with a federally 

13 funded research and development center to conduct sur14 veys nationwide to measure cannabis use by veterans. 

15 (b) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall select a feder16 ally funded research and development center under sub17 section (a) from among such centers that has— 

18 (1) expertise and a record of independent, peer19 reviewed publications with respect to— 

20 (A) behavioral health research; and 

21 (B) conducting independent evaluations of 

22 mental health programs using multidisciplinary 

23 methods; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 6991 IH

1 (2) an in-depth knowledge of all State medicinal 

2 marijuana programs and the ability to tailor the sur3 veys under subsection (a) accordingly. 

4 (c) CONDUCT OF SURVEYS.—The surveys conducted 

5 under subsection (a) shall meet the following criteria: 

6 (1) One survey shall collect information from 

7 veterans who use cannabis, including both veterans 

8 enrolled in the health care system established under 

9 section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, and 

10 veterans who are not so enrolled. 

11 (2) One survey shall collect information from 

12 health care providers of the Department of Veterans 

13 Affairs. 

14 (3) Each survey shall be conducted in a manner 

15 that ensures the anonymity of the individual being 

16 surveyed. 

17 (d) MATTERS SURVEYED.— 

18 (1) VETERANS.—The survey described in sub19 section (c)(1) shall cover the following subjects: 

20 (A) The current medicinal cannabis use by 

21 the veteran, or the intent or desire by the vet22 eran to use medicinal cannabis, and the reasons 

23 for such use, intent, or desire. 

24 (B) The conditions, symptoms, or both, 

25 that the veteran uses cannabis to treat. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 6991 IH

1 (C) The types of cannabis and cannabis 

2 products used by the veteran, including with re3 spect to— 

4 (i) tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabidi5 ol content; 

6 (ii) indica, sativa, mixes, or hybrids; 

7 and 

8 (iii) flower, oils, hash or kief, con9 centrates (wax, shatter, budder), edibles, 

10 drinks, tinctures, and topical ointments. 

11 (D) Other medications taken by the vet12 eran concurrently with cannabis and any medi13 cations the veteran stopped using because of 

14 the use of cannabis. 

15 (E) How the veteran is self-administering 

16 medicinal cannabis, including— 

17 (i) the method; 

18 (ii) the typical times each day the vet19 eran self-administers; 

20 (iii) the frequency of different prod21 ucts per day and for what condition, symp22 tom, or both; and 

23 (iv) the amounts per product. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 6991 IH

1 (F) The ratings and descriptions of the ef2 fectiveness of using cannabis to treat condi3 tions, symptoms, or both. 

4 (G) Any experiences with side effects. 

5 (H) The number of different cannabis 

6 products tried before settling on the current 

7 product. 

8 (I) The typical source of medical cannabis 

9 (such as a single dispensary, multiple 

10 dispensaries, mail order, or other source), the 

11 typical purchase frequency, and the typical 

12 amount purchased. 

13 (J) The sources of information the veteran 

14 uses for products and dosages. 

15 (K) Factors that influence the choice of 

16 the veteran for using a chosen product (such as 

17 with respect to the levels of tetrahydrocannabi18 nol or cannabidiol content, cost, availability, 

19 consistency, or strain). 

20 (L) Any other matters determined appro21 priate. 

22 (2) HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.—The survey de23 scribed in subsection (c)(2) shall cover the following 

24 subjects: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 6991 IH

1 (A) A description of the experience of the 

2 health care provider with respect to patents 

3 using medicinal cannabis. 

4 (B) A description by the health care pro5 vider of how medicinal cannabis is changing pa6 tients. 

7 (C) A description of how treatment plans 

8 have been modified after a veteran discloses 

9 using cannabis. 

10 (D) Any documentation of the products, 

11 dosages, or frequency of such cannabis use in 

12 the medical records of the veteran. 

13 (E) Reporting of adverse events. 

14 (F) The sources of information used by the 

15 health care provider with respect to cannabis 

16 products and the medical effectiveness of can17 nabis. 

18 (G) Any other matters determined appro19 priate. 

20 (e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 

21 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

22 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

23 House of Representatives a report on the results of the 

24 surveys conducted under this section. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 6991 IH

1 SEC. 3. TRAINING IN USE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR DE2 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PRIMARY 

3 CARE PROVIDERS. 

4 (a) TRAINING.—Not later than one year after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet6 erans Affairs shall provide for all primary care providers 

7 of the Department of Veterans Affairs an initial training 

8 in the use of medical cannabis. The Secretary shall provide 

9 supplemental training as necessary. 

10 (b) PARTNERSHIPS WITH MEDICAL SCHOOLS.—In 

11 developing and providing the training to be provided under 

12 subsection (a), the Secretary shall enter into partnerships 

13 with medical schools that have incorporated education on 

14 medical cannabis into their curricula. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS