I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2916 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a series of clinical 

trials on the effects of cannabis on certain health outcomes of veterans 

with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2021 

Mr. CORREA (for himself and Mr. MEIJER) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a series of clinical trials on the effects of cannabis on 

certain health outcomes of veterans with chronic pain 

and post-traumatic stress disorder, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Medicinal Cannabis 

5 Research Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CLINICAL 

2 TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON 

3 CERTAIN HEALTH OUTCOMES OF VETERANS 

4 WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND POST-TRAUMATIC 

5 STRESS DISORDER. 

6 (a) CLINICAL TRIALS REQUIRED.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

8 Affairs shall carry out a series of clinical trials on 

9 the effects of medical-grade cannabis on the health 

10 outcomes of covered veterans diagnosed with chronic 

11 pain and covered veterans diagnosed with post-trau12 matic stress disorder. 

13 (2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The clinical trials 

14 required by paragraph (1) shall include— 

15 (A) with respect to covered veterans diag16 nosed with chronic pain, an evaluation of the 

17 effects of the use of cannabis on— 

18 (i) osteopathic pain (including pain in19 tensity and pain-related outcomes); 

20 (ii) the reduction or increase in opioid 

21 use or dosage; 

22 (iii) the reduction or increase in 

23 benzodiazepine use or dosage; 

24 (iv) the reduction or increase in alco25 hol use; 

26 (v) inflammation; 


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1 (vi) sleep quality; 

2 (vii) agitation; and 

3 (viii) quality of life; 

4 (B) with respect to covered veterans diag5 nosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, an 

6 evaluation of the effects of the use of cannabis 

7 on— 

8 (i) the symptoms of post-traumatic 

9 stress disorder (PTSD) as established by 

10 or derived from the clinician administered 

11 PTSD scale, the PTSD checklist, the 

12 PTSD symptom scale, the post-traumatic 

13 diagnostic scale, and other applicable 

14 methods of evaluating symptoms of post15 traumatic stress disorder; 

16 (ii) the reduction or increase in 

17 benzodiazepine use or dosage; 

18 (iii) the reduction or increase in alco19 hol use; 

20 (iv) mood; 

21 (v) anxiety; 

22 (vi) social functioning; 

23 (vii) agitation; 

24 (viii) suicidal ideation; and 


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1 (ix) sleep quality, including frequency 

2 of nightmares and night terrors. 

3 (3) OPTIONAL ELEMENTS.—The clinical trials 

4 required by paragraph (1) may include an evaluation 

5 of the effects of the use of cannabis to treat chronic 

6 pain and post-traumatic stress disorder on— 

7 (A) pulmonary function; 

8 (B) cardiovascular events; 

9 (C) head, neck, and oral cancer; 

10 (D) testicular cancer; 

11 (E) ovarian cancer; 

12 (F) transitional cell cancer; 

13 (G) intestinal inflammation; 

14 (H) motor vehicle accidents; 

15 (I) mania; 

16 (J) psychosis; 

17 (K) cognitive effects; 

18 (L) cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome; 

19 (M) neuropathy; or 

20 (N) spasticity. 

21 (b) LONG-TERM OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.—The Sec22 retary may carry out a long-term observational study of 

23 the participants in the clinical trials required by sub24 section (a). 

25 (c) TYPE OF CANNABIS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the clinical 

2 trials required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

3 study varying forms of cannabis, including whole 

4 plant raw material and extracts. 

5 (2) PLANT CULTIVARS.—Of the varying forms 

6 of cannabis required under paragraph (1), the Sec7 retary shall study not fewer than seven unique plant 

8 cultivars with ratios of tetrahydrocannabinol to 

9 cannabidiol in each of the following categories: 

10 (A) Less than 1:5. 

11 (B) Between 1:2 and 1:5. 

12 (C) Approximately 1:2. 

13 (D) Approximately 1:1. 

14 (E) Approximately 2:1. 

15 (F) Between 2:1 and 5:1. 

16 (G) More than 5:1. 

17 (d) USE OF CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL

18 GROUPS.—The clinical trials required by subsection (a) 

19 shall include both a control group and an experimental 

20 group that shall— 

21 (1) be of similar size and structure; and 

22 (2) represent the demographics of the veteran 

23 population, as determined by the most recent data 

24 from the American Community Survey of the BuVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:02 Jun 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2916.IH H2916

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1 reau of the Census that is available prior to the 

2 commencement of the clinical trials. 

3 (e) DATA PRESERVATION.—The clinical trials re4 quired by subsection (a) shall include a mechanism to en5 sure the preservation of all data, including all data sets, 

6 collected or used for purposes of such trials in a manner 

7 that will facilitate further research. 

8 (f) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days 

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

10 shall— 

11 (1) develop a plan to implement this section 

12 and submit such plan to the Committee on Veterans’ 

13 Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet14 erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives; and 

15 (2) issue any requests for proposals the Sec16 retary determines appropriate for such implementa17 tion. 

18 (g) EFFECT ON OTHER BENEFITS.—The eligibility 

19 or entitlement of a covered veteran to any other benefit 

20 under the laws administered by the Secretary or any other 

21 provision of law shall not be affected by the participation 

22 of the covered veteran in a clinical trial under subsection 

23 (a) or a study under subsection (b). 

24 (h) PERIODIC REPORTS.—During the five-year pe25 riod beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, 


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1 the Secretary shall submit periodically, but not less fre2 quently than annually, to the Committee on Veterans’ Af3 fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af4 fairs of the House of Representatives reports on the imple5 mentation of this section. 

6 (i) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

7 the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a veteran who is en8 rolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department 

9 of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 

10 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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