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 pur-
poses. 
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 pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Medicinal Cannabis 
Research Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CLINICAL 
TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON 
CERTAIN HEALTH OUTCOMES OF VETERANS 
WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND POST-TRAUMATIC 
STRESS DISORDER. 
(a) CLINICAL TRIALS REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a series of clinical trials on 
the effects of medical-grade cannabis on the health 
outcomes of covered veterans diagnosed with chronic 
pain and covered veterans diagnosed with post-trau-
matic stress disorder. 
(2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The clinical trials 
required by paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) with respect to covered veterans diag-
nosed with chronic pain, an evaluation of the 
effects of the use of cannabis on— 
(i) osteopathic pain (including pain in-
tensity and pain-related outcomes); 
(ii) the reduction or increase in opioid 
use or dosage; 
(iii) the reduction or increase in 
benzodiazepine use or dosage; 
(iv) the reduction or increase in alco-
hol use; 
(v) inflammation; 
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(vi) sleep quality; 
(vii) agitation; and 
(viii) quality of life; 
(B) with respect to covered veterans diag-
nosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, an 
evaluation of the effects of the use of cannabis 
on— 
(i) the symptoms of post-traumatic 
stress disorder (PTSD) as established by 
or derived from the clinician administered 
PTSD scale, the PTSD checklist, the 
PTSD symptom scale, the post-traumatic 
diagnostic scale, and other applicable 
methods of evaluating symptoms of post- 
traumatic stress disorder; 
(ii) the reduction or increase in 
benzodiazepine use or dosage; 
(iii) the reduction or increase in alco-
hol use; 
(iv) mood; 
(v) anxiety; 
(vi) social functioning; 
(vii) agitation; 
(viii) suicidal ideation; and 
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(ix) sleep quality, including frequency 
of nightmares and night terrors. 
(3) OPTIONAL ELEMENTS.—The clinical trials 
required by paragraph (1) may include an evaluation 
of the effects of the use of cannabis to treat chronic 
pain and post-traumatic stress disorder on— 
(A) pulmonary function; 
(B) cardiovascular events; 
(C) head, neck, and oral cancer; 
(D) testicular cancer; 
(E) ovarian cancer; 
(F) transitional cell cancer; 
(G) intestinal inflammation; 
(H) motor vehicle accidents; 
(I) mania; 
(J) psychosis; 
(K) cognitive effects; 
(L) cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome; 
(M) neuropathy; or 
(N) spasticity. 
(b) LONG-TERM OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.—The Sec-
retary may carry out a long-term observational study of 
the participants in the clinical trials required by sub-
section (a). 
(c) TYPE OF CANNABIS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the clinical 
trials required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
study varying forms of cannabis, including whole 
plant raw material and extracts. 
(2) PLANT CULTIVARS.—Of the varying forms 
of cannabis required under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall study not fewer than seven unique plant 
cultivars with ratios of tetrahydrocannabinol to 
cannabidiol in each of the following categories: 
(A) Less than 1:5. 
(B) Between 1:2 and 1:5. 
(C) Approximately 1:2. 
(D) Approximately 1:1. 
(E) Approximately 2:1. 
(F) Between 2:1 and 5:1. 
(G) More than 5:1. 
(d) 
USE
OF
CONTROL
AND
EXPERIMENTAL 
GROUPS.—The clinical trials required by subsection (a) 
shall include both a control group and an experimental 
group that shall— 
(1) be of similar size and structure; and 
(2) represent the demographics of the veteran 
population, as determined by the most recent data 
from the American Community Survey of the Bu-
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reau of the Census that is available prior to the 
commencement of the clinical trials. 
(e) DATA PRESERVATION.—The clinical trials re-
quired by subsection (a) shall include a mechanism to en-
sure the preservation of all data, including all data sets, 
collected or used for purposes of such trials in a manner 
that will facilitate further research. 
(f) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall— 
(1) develop a plan to implement this section 
and submit such plan to the Committee on Veterans’ 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) issue any requests for proposals the Sec-
retary determines appropriate for such implementa-
tion. 
(g) EFFECT ON OTHER BENEFITS.—The eligibility 
or entitlement of a covered veteran to any other benefit 
under the laws administered by the Secretary or any other 
provision of law shall not be affected by the participation 
of the covered veteran in a clinical trial under subsection 
(a) or a study under subsection (b). 
(h) PERIODIC REPORTS.—During the five-year pe-
riod beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, 
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the Secretary shall submit periodically, but not less fre-
quently than annually, to the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives reports on the imple-
mentation of this section. 
(i) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a veteran who is en-
rolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code. 
Æ 
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