![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/2b07-1.png\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
A House committee on Thursday approved a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct\u00a0clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans.<\/p>\n
The House Veterans Affairs Committee passed the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), in a largely party line vote of 18-11, with all Democrats in support and all but one Republican opposed.<\/p>\n
The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act would mandate that the department launch a series of studies on using medical marijuana to treat PTSD and chronic pain. Earlier versions of the measure cleared the panel in 2020 and 2018<\/a>\u00a0but were not enacted into law.<\/p>\n \u201cOur veterans are no strangers to confronting challenges, and that\u2019s why Congress needs to explore alternative treatment options,\u201d Correa told Marijuana Moment. \u201cThe VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2021 meets veterans where they already are and opens a new door for federal policy that supports treatment options preferred by veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can we not try to gather the vast resources of Congress and the federal government to explore alternative treatment options like cannabis when veterans themselves are telling us that\u2019s what they need,\u201d the congressman said. \u201cTo not support this legislation would be to defer once again of our obligation to care for those who have sacrificed so much to help protect our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n A subcommittee held a hearing on the proposal last month, and the Biden administration expressed opposition to the reform<\/a>.<\/p>\n Separately on Friday, the full House is set to take up an infrastructure bill that includes provisions aimed at allowing researchers to study the actual marijuana that consumers are purchasing from state-legal dispensaries<\/a> instead of having to use only government-grown cannabis.<\/p>\n At Thursday\u2019s committee markup<\/a> on the veterans-focused bill, members rejected<\/a> an amendment that was filed by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA). Its text, which was identical to standalone legislation the congresswoman filed<\/a> in April, essentially represented a more dialed back, less prescriptive proposal to encourage VA medical cannabis studies as compared to Correa\u2019s measure.<\/p>\n\n Miller-Meeks\u2019s legislation says that the department would have to \u201cconduct and support research relating to the efficacy and safety of forms of cannabis\u201d for chronic pain, PTSD and \u201cother conditions the Secretary determines appropriate,\u201d without the specific requirement for full clinical trials as in Correa\u2019s bill. It would also require fewer unique strains of cannabis be analyzed, among other differences.<\/p>\n \u201cCongressman Correa and I agree\u201d on the fundamentals of the issue, Miller-Meeks said. \u201cHowever, his bill takes an overly prescriptive approach to requiring the VA conduct research on medical marijuana.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am sure that it is well-intentioned,\u201d she continued. \u201cHowever, what that would do is unfairly tie the hands of the VA researchers who are responsible for designing and conducting these studies and undermine their work to such an extent as to render it meaningless.\u201d<\/p>\n Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) responded that he could not support the amendment because it would give VA \u201cfar<\/span> more<\/span> leeway in determining\u2026<\/span>the<\/span> possible<\/span> use<\/span>\u00a0of<\/span> cannabis<\/span> and<\/span> treating<\/span> pain<\/span> and<\/span> PTSD<\/span> and<\/span> veterans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWith all<\/span> due<\/span> respect,<\/span> VA<\/span> could<\/span> be<\/span> doing<\/span> that<\/span> level<\/span> of<\/span> research<\/span> now<\/span> and<\/span> simply<\/span> has<\/span> chosen<\/span> not<\/span> to,\u201d he said. \u201cVA\u2019s Office of Research and Development can absolutely handle a clinical trial. It already conducts many of them. And it\u2019s time to bring the scientific weight of that gold standard approach to the issue of cannabis use.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Despite opposition from VA officials, the committee went ahead with passing Correa\u2019s original bill.<\/p>\n A representative of the department said at last month\u2019s subcommittee hearing that any clinical trials involving human subjects that carries potential risks must use the \u201csmallest number of participants needed to avoid unnecessarily putting subjects at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n With respect to marijuana, some effects \u201care not known,\u201d VA\u2019s David Carroll said, \u201cthus a circumscribed approach to determine dose, administration modality and best outcome measure must be shown in a proof-of-concept approach to ensure the validity of the research.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, Carroll argued that certain requirements stipulated in the bill such as studying seven different cannabis varieties are \u201cnot consistent with the current state of scientific evidence, which suggests that smaller, early phase, controlled clinical trials with a focused set of specific aims are optimal to determine proof of concept for using cannabis to treat specific conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n The department\u2019s response to the bill is consistent with its past testimony\u2014but it still comes as a disappointment to advocates who had hoped VA under Biden would ultimately embrace the modest reform.<\/p>\n Hopes were raised even higher after the bill sponsor, Correa,\u00a0recently informed a separate House panel<\/a> that he\u2019d had a conversation with VA Secretary Denis McDonough about the issue of marijuana and veterans.<\/p>\n Groups that represent military veterans, meanwhile, have backed the legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe simply must equip VA and its healthcare providers with scientific guidance about the potential impacts, benefits and\/or dangers of cannabis used to treat chronic pain and PTSD,\u201d Takano said ahead of the vote<\/a>. \u201cThe VA tells us that it is monitoring smaller research projects on cannabis outside VA. This really is not sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n Veterans can purchase medical cannabis in 36 states & recreational cannabis in 19 states.@RepLouCorrea<\/a>‘s bill would equip VA & its healthcare providers with scientific guidance about the potential impacts, benefits, & dangers of cannabis use to treat chronic pain & PTSD.<\/p>\n \u2014 House Veterans’ Affairs (@VetAffairsDems) November 4, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n \u201cThe bill directs VA to bring the important methodological rigor and clinical trial framework to bear on these important questions,\u201d the chairman said. \u201cWe owe our veterans no less.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) was the only GOP lawmaker to support the bill\u2019s advancement through committee.<\/p>\n Takano said<\/a> the cannabis legislation and other bills approved during the markup \u201cwill become part of our annual Veterans Day legislative package\u201d and that<\/a> he looks forward \u201ctheir passage on the House floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Because Veterans Day is next Thursday, the chairman\u2019s comments signal the marijuana bill may move through the full House on an expedited basis in the coming days.<\/p>\n Its legislative text says the VA secretary \u201cshall carry out a series of clinical trials on 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.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 It lists both \u201crequired elements\u201d of the trials and \u201coptional elements.\u201d When it comes to the chronic pain trials, the agency would have to look at the impact of marijuana consumption on osteopathic pain, opioid use and dosage, benzodiazepine use and dosage, alcohol use, inflammation, sleep quality, agitation and quality of life.<\/p>\n For the PTSD-specific studies, VA would examine the extent to which cannabis affects basic symptoms of the condition, the use and dosage of benzodiazepines, alcohol use, mood, anxiety, social functioning, agitation, suicidal ideation and sleep quality.<\/p>\n Optionally, the clinical trials \u201cmay include an evaluation of the effects of the use of cannabis to treat chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder on\u201d pulmonary function, cardiovascular events, various forms of cancer, intestinal inflammation, motor vehicle accidents, mania, psychosis, cannabinoid hypermesis syndrome, neuropathy or spasticity.<\/p>\n The bill further details specific methodological standards of the clinical trials that would be required. It would, for example, mandate that researchers use \u201cnot fewer than seven unique plant cultivars\u201d with specific ratios of THC and CBD, and says the trials will involve \u201cwhole plant raw material and extracts.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to his standalone bill, Correa separately proposed requiring VA cannabis studies as an amendment to a defense spending bill that passed the House<\/a>\u00a0in September. But he\u00a0withdrew it prior to a House Rules Committee hearing<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Senate committee in June held a hearing on a bill to similarly require the department to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans with PTSD and chronic pain\u2014but a VA representative said that\u00a0the Biden administration is opposed to the reform<\/a>. The Senate panel has not yet voted on its version of the legislation.<\/p>\n During the last Congress, in 2019, the VA under President Donald Trump\u00a0came out against a series of bills<\/a>\u00a0that were designed to protect benefits for veterans who use marijuana, allow the department\u2019s doctors to recommend medical cannabis and expand research into the plant\u2019s therapeutic potential.<\/p>\n In 2018, the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee was the\u00a0first congressional panel to approve a marijuana reform bill<\/a>\u00a0by passing an earlier version of legislation to encourage VA to conduct research on the medical benefits of cannabis.<\/p>\n Despite VA\u2019s stated opposition to a variety of marijuana reform proposals in the past, an official with the department did say recently that it is \u201cvery closely\u201d following research into\u00a0the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics like MDMA<\/a>\u00a0for military veterans.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, a bipartisan coalition of congressional lawmakers reintroduced bills that would\u00a0federally legalize medical cannabis for military veterans<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) in January introduced a proposal aimed at ensuring that\u00a0military veterans aren\u2019t penalized for using medical cannabis<\/a>\u00a0in compliance with state law. It would also codify that VA doctors are allowed to discuss the risks and benefits of marijuana with their patients.<\/p>\n VA doctors are currently permitted to discuss cannabis with patients and document their usage in medical records, and those veteran patients are already shielded by agency policy from losing their benefits for marijuana use\u2014but the bill would enshrine those policies\u00a0into federal statute so they could not be administratively changed in the future.<\/p>\n A U.S. military veteran who was deported to Jamaica over a marijuana conviction was\u00a0recently allowed to return to the country<\/a>\u00a0following a concerted push for relief by members of Congress.<\/p>\n Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA)\u00a0sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)<\/a>\u00a0in July requesting that he reopen the case.<\/p>\n Thirty members of the Congressional Black Caucus separately\u00a0urged the Biden administration to reopen certain deportation cases<\/a>, including those involving cannabis.<\/p>\n Strong Majority Of Americans Continues To Support Marijuana Legalization At Record High Level, New Gallup Poll Finds<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post Congressional Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Research Bill For Veterans Despite Biden Administration Opposition<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A House committee on Thursday approved a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct\u00a0clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans. The House Veterans Affairs Committee passed the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), in a largely party line voteContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":51002,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51001"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51001"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51003,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51001\/revisions\/51003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
![\"⬇\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/2b07.png\")
pic.twitter.com\/3TFAG4PTgV<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMarijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,200 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-23.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nRead More: Congressional Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Research Bill For Veterans Despite Biden Administration Opposition<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"