II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2796 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use the authority of the 

Secretary to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety 

of medicinal cannabis, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 7, 2018 

Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use the 

authority of the Secretary to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of 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. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 Research Act of 2018’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CONDUCT OF RESEARCH INTO EFFECTS OF CAN2 NABIS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES OF CERTAIN 

3 VETERANS. 

4 (a) RESEARCH REQUIRED.—In carrying out the re5 sponsibilities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under 

6 section 7303 of title 38, United States Code, the Secretary 

7 may conduct and support research relating to the efficacy 

8 and safety of forms of cannabis described in subsection 

9 (c) on the health outcomes of covered veterans diagnosed 

10 with chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and 

11 other conditions the Secretary determines appropriate. 

12 (b) DATA PRESERVATION.—Research conducted pur13 suant to subsection (a) shall include a mechanism to en14 sure the preservation of all data, including all data sets, 

15 collected or used for purposes of the research required by 

16 subsection (a) in a manner that will facilitate further re17 search. 

18 (c) FORMS OF CANNABIS TO BE RESEARCHED.—The 

19 forms of cannabis described in this subsection are— 

20 (1) varying forms of cannabis, including— 

21 (A) full plants and extracts; 

22 (B) at least three different strains of can23 nabis with significant variants in phenotypic 

24 traits and various ratios of tetrahydrocannabi25 nol and cannabidiol in chemical composition; 

26 and 


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1 (C) other chemical analogs of tetrahydro2 cannabinol; and 

3 (2) varying methods of cannabis delivery, in4 cluding topical application, combustible and non5 combustible inhalation, and ingestion. 

6 (d) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days 

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

8 shall— 

9 (1) develop a plan to implement this section 

10 and submit such plan to the Committees on Vet11 erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and 

12 the Senate; and 

13 (2) issue any requests for proposals the Sec14 retary determines appropriate for such implementa15 tion. 

16 (e) REPORTS.—During the five-year period beginning 

17 on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

18 shall submit periodically, but not less frequently than an19 nually, to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

20 House of Representatives and the Senate reports on the 

21 implementation of this section. 

22 (f) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 

23 the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a veteran who is en24 rolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department 


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1 of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of title 38, United 

2 States Code. 

Æ 


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