Title: Calling on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a clinical study assessing the effectiveness of treating chronic pain in veterans with cannabis in comparison to opioids.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Recognizes: (1) the urgency and importance of finding alternative successful treatments to opioids to address veterans' health care, and (2) that it is imperative to the health and safety of our veterans that a study be conducted on the medicinal applications of marijuana for treating wounds resulting from their service.
Calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a clinical study and further research to evaluate the effects of cannabis in comparison to opioids in treating veterans' service-related health conditions.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 590 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 590

  Calling on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a clinical 
study assessing the effectiveness of treating chronic pain in veterans 
                with cannabis in comparison to opioids.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2017

 Mr. Correa submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Calling on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a clinical 
study assessing the effectiveness of treating chronic pain in veterans 
                with cannabis in comparison to opioids.

Whereas prescription opioids are a class of drugs that can relieve pain, but can 
        also be misused, resulting in dependence;
Whereas prescription opioid addiction causes severe physical and mental harm and 
        can result in overdose incidents and deaths;
Whereas our country is facing an unprecedented and devastating prescription 
        opioid overdose epidemic;
Whereas opioid addiction in the United States increased by 493 percent from 2010 
        to 2016;
Whereas 64,000 Americas died from opioid addiction and overdose in 2016;
Whereas almost 60 percent of veterans returning from deployments in the Middle 
        East and 50 percent of older veterans suffer from chronic pain;
Whereas these rates of chronic pain exceed the reported 30 percent national 
        average of chronic pain within the general American population;
Whereas prescriptions for opioids by the Department of Veterans Affairs have 
        increased by 270 percent since 2003;
Whereas 68,000 veterans have been reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs 
        to be addicted to opioids;
Whereas veterans are roughly twice as likely to become addicted to opioids than 
        are members of the general population;
Whereas veterans are twice as likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose 
        than nonveterans; and
Whereas the President of the United States announced a public health emergency 
        on the opioid crisis on October 26, 2017: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the urgency and importance of finding 
        alternative successful treatments to opioids to address 
        veterans' health care;
            (2) recognizes it is imperative to the health and safety of 
        our veterans that a study be conducted on the medicinal 
        applications of marijuana for treating wounds resulting from 
        service to our great Nation; and
            (3) calls on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a 
        clinical study and further research to evaluate the effects of 
        cannabis in comparison to opioids in treating service-related 
        health conditions of veterans.
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