I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2682 
To allow veterans to use, possess, or transport medical marijuana and to 
discuss the use of medical marijuana with a physician of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs as authorized by a State or Indian Tribe, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2023 
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 
Ms. STRICKLAND, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. TITUS, Ms. MACE, Mr. COHEN, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. NORTON, Ms. JACK-
SON LEE, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, and Ms. JACOBS) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Vet-
erans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To allow veterans to use, possess, or transport medical mari-
juana and to discuss the use of medical marijuana with 
a physician of the Department of Veterans Affairs as 
authorized by a State or Indian Tribe, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Medical 
Marijuana Safe Harbor Act.’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Chronic pain affects the veteran population, 
with almost 60 percent of veterans returning from 
serving in the Armed Forces in the Middle East, and 
more than 50 percent of older veterans, who are 
using the health care system of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs living with some form of chronic 
pain. 
(2) In 2020, opioids accounted for approxi-
mately 75 percent of all drug overdose deaths in the 
United States. 
(3) Veterans are twice as likely to die from 
opioid related overdoses than nonveterans. 
(4) States with recreational cannabis laws expe-
rienced a 7.6 percent reduction in opioid-related 
emergency department visits during the 180-day pe-
riod after the implementation of such laws. 
(5) Marijuana and its compounds show promise 
for pain management and treating a wide-range of 
diseases and disorders, including post-traumatic 
stress disorder. 
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(6) Medical marijuana in States where it is 
legal may serve as a less harmful alternative to 
opioids in treating veterans. 
SEC. 3. SAFE HARBOR FOR USE BY VETERANS OF MEDICAL 
MARIJUANA. 
(a) SAFE HARBOR.—Notwithstanding the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Controlled 
Substances Import and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 951 et 
seq.), or any other Federal law, it shall not be unlawful 
for— 
(1) a veteran to use, possess, or transport med-
ical marijuana in a State or on Indian land if the 
use, possession, or transport is authorized and in ac-
cordance with the law of the applicable State or In-
dian Tribe; 
(2) a physician to discuss with a veteran the 
use of medical marijuana as a treatment if the phy-
sician is in a State or on Indian land where the law 
of the applicable State or Indian Tribe authorizes 
the use, possession, distribution, dispensation, ad-
ministration, delivery, and transport of medical 
marijuana; or 
(3) a physician to recommend, complete forms 
for, or register veterans for participation in a treat-
ment program involving medical marijuana that is 
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approved by the law of the applicable State or In-
dian Tribe. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INDIAN
LAND.—The term ‘‘Indian land’’ 
means any of the Indian lands, as that term is de-
fined in section 824(b) of the Indian Health Care 
Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1680n). 
(2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(3) PHYSICIAN.—The term ‘‘physician’’ means 
a physician appointed by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs under section 7401(1) of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(4) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 102 of the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802). 
(5) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(c) SUNSET.—This section shall cease to have force 
or effect on the date that is five years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY 
VETERANS. 
(a) RESEARCH
ON EFFECTS
OF MEDICAL MARI-
JUANA ON VETERANS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall support clinical re-
search on the use of medical marijuana— 
(A) by veterans to manage pain; and 
(B) for the treatment of veterans for dis-
eases and disorders such as post-traumatic 
stress disorder. 
(2) INTERAGENCY
COORDINATION.—The Sec-
retary shall coordinate and collaborate with other 
relevant Federal agencies to support and facilitate 
clinical research under paragraph (1). 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the ongoing 
clinical research supported by the Secretary under 
paragraph (1), which shall include such rec-
ommendations for legislative or administrative action 
as the Secretary considers appropriate to continue to 
support the management of pain and the treatment 
of diseases and disorders of veterans. 
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(b) STUDY ON USE BY VETERANS OF STATE MED-
ICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAMS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall conduct a study on the relationship be-
tween treatment programs involving medical mari-
juana that are approved by States, the access of vet-
erans to such programs, and a reduction in opioid 
use and misuse among veterans. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date on which the study required under para-
graph (1) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report on the study, which shall include 
such recommendations for legislative or administra-
tive action as the Secretary considers appropriate. 
(c) VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given that term in section 101 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
this section. 
Æ 
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