I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5520 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 16, 2018 
Mr. WALZ (for himself, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, and Mr. CORREA) introduced 
the following bill; which was 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 re-
search on the efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis, 
and for other purposes. 
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 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. CONDUCT OF RESEARCH INTO EFFECTS OF CAN-
NABIS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES OF CERTAIN 
VETERANS. 
(a) RESEARCH REQUIRED.—In carrying out the re-
sponsibilities of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under 
section 7303 of title 38, United States Code, the Secretary 
may conduct and support research relating to the efficacy 
and safety of forms of cannabis described in subsection 
(c) on the health outcomes of covered veterans diagnosed 
with chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and 
other conditions the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(b) DATA PRESERVATION.—Research conducted pur-
suant to subsection (a) shall include a mechanism to en-
sure the preservation of all data, including all data sets, 
collected or used for purposes of the research required by 
subsection (a) in a manner that will facilitate further re-
search. 
(c) FORMS OF CANNABIS TO BE RESEARCHED.—The 
forms of cannabis described in this subsection are— 
(1) varying forms of cannabis, including— 
(A) full plants and extracts; 
(B) at least three different strains of can-
nabis with significant variants in phenotypic 
traits and various ratios of tetrahydrocannabi-
nol and cannabidiol in chemical composition; 
and 
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(C) other chemical analogs of tetrahydro-
cannabinol; and 
(2) varying methods of cannabis delivery, in-
cluding topical application, combustible and non- 
combustible inhalation, and ingestion. 
(d) 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 Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and 
the Senate; and 
(2) issue any requests for proposals the Sec-
retary determines appropriate for such implementa-
tion. 
(e) REPORTS.—During the five-year period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit periodically, but not less frequently than an-
nually, to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate reports on the 
implementation of this section. 
(f) 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 
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of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
Æ 
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