I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 712 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a clinical trial 
of the effects of cannabis on certain health outcomes of adults with 
chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 23, 2019 
Mr. CORREA (for himself and Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana) 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 clinical trial of the effects of cannabis on certain health 
outcomes of adults with chronic pain and post-traumatic 
stress disorder, 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 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CLINICAL 
TRIAL OF THE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON 
CERTAIN HEALTH OUTCOMES OF ADULTS 
WITH CHRONIC PAIN AND POST-TRAUMATIC 
STRESS DISORDER. 
(a) CLINICAL TRIAL REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a double-blind randomized 
controlled clinical trial of the effects of medical- 
grade cannabis on the health outcomes of covered 
veterans diagnosed with chronic pain and covered 
veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress dis-
order. 
(2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The clinical trial 
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) neuropathic pain (including pain 
intensity 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; 
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(v) inflammation; 
(vi) sleep quality; 
(vii) spasticity; 
(viii) agitation; and 
(ix) quality of life; and 
(B) with respect to covered veterans diag-
nosed with post-traumatic stress disorder 
(PTSD), an evaluation of the effects of the use 
of cannabis on— 
(i) the symptoms of PTSD (based on 
the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, 
the PTSD checklist, the PTSD symptom 
scale, the posttraumatic diagnostic scale, 
and other applicable methods of evaluating 
PTSD symptoms); 
(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 trial 
required by paragraph (1) may include an evaluation 
of the effects of the use of cannabis to treat chronic 
pain and PTSD on— 
(A) pulmonary function; 
(B) cardiovascular events; 
(C) head, neck, and oral cancer; 
(D) testicular cancer; 
(E) ovarian cancer; 
(F) transitional cell cancer; 
(G) motor vehicle accidents; 
(H) mania; 
(I) psychosis; 
(J) cognitive effects; or 
(K) cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. 
(b) COVERED VETERANS.—In this section, the term 
‘‘covered veteran’’ means a veteran who is enrolled in the 
patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code. 
(c) LONG-TERM OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.—The Sec-
retary may carry out a long-term observational study of 
the participants in the clinical trial required under sub-
section (a). 
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(d) TYPE OF CANNABIS.—In carrying out the clinical 
trial required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
study— 
(1) varying forms of cannabis, including— 
(A) full plants and extracts; and 
(B) at least three different strains of can-
nabis with significant variants in phenotypic 
traits 
and 
various 
ratios 
of 
tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in chem-
ical composition; and 
(2) varying methods of cannabis delivery, in-
cluding combustible and non-combustible inhalation 
and ingestion. 
(e) 
USE
OF
CONTROL
AND
EXPERIMENTAL 
GROUPS.—The clinical trial required by subsection (a) 
shall include both a control group and an experimental 
group which 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 that is avail-
able prior to the commencement of the clinical trial. 
(f) DATA PRESERVATION.—The clinical trial required 
by subsection (a) shall include a mechanism to ensure the 
preservation of all data, including all data sets, collected 
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or used for purposes of the research required by sub-
section (a) in a manner that will facilitate further re-
search. 
(g) 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. 
(h) 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 or study under 
this section. 
(i) 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 
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House of Representatives and the Senate reports on the 
implementation of this section. 
Æ 
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