Title: VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2019
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a clinical trial of the effects of medical-grade cannabis on the health outcomes of covered veterans diagnosed with chronic pain, and also those diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Covered veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA patient enrollment system for hospital care and medical services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 179 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 179

  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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 17, 2019

  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 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 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 2019''.

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 disorder.
            (2) Required elements.--The clinical trial required by 
        paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) with respect to covered veterans diagnosed 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 alcohol 
                        use;
                            (v) inflammation;
                            (vi) sleep quality;
                            (vii) spasticity;
                            (viii) agitation; and
                            (ix) quality of life; and
                    (B) with respect to covered veterans diagnosed 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 alcohol 
                        use;
                            (iv) mood;
                            (v) anxiety;
                            (vi) social functioning;
                            (vii) agitation;
                            (viii) suicidal ideation; and
                            (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 Secretary may carry out a 
long-term observational study of the participants in the clinical trial 
required under subsection (a).
    (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 cannabis 
                with significant variants in phenotypic traits and 
                various ratios of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol 
                in chemical composition; and
            (2) varying methods of cannabis delivery, including 
        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 available 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 or used for purposes of the research 
required by subsection (a) in a manner that will facilitate further 
research.
    (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 Veterans' Affairs of the House 
        of Representatives and the Senate; and
            (2) issue any requests for proposals the Secretary 
        determines appropriate for such implementation.
    (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 annually, to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate reports on the 
implementation of this section.
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