Title: VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of certain forms of cannabis and cannabis delivery for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system diagnosed with conditions such as chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Collected data shall be preserved in a manner that facilitates further research.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2796 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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''.

SEC. 2. CONDUCT OF RESEARCH INTO EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES 
              OF CERTAIN VETERANS.

    (a) Research Required.--In carrying out the responsibilities 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 pursuant to subsection 
(a) shall include a mechanism to ensure 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 
research.
    (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 cannabis 
                with significant variants in phenotypic traits and 
                various ratios of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol 
                in chemical composition; and
                    (C) other chemical analogs of tetrahydrocannabinol; 
                and
            (2) varying methods of cannabis delivery, including 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 Veterans' Affairs of the House 
        of Representatives and the Senate; and
            (2) issue any requests for proposals the Secretary 
        determines appropriate for such implementation.
    (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 annually, 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 enrolled in the patient enrollment 
system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of 
title 38, United States Code.
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