H.Res. 590 — Introduced in House

IV 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 590 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 26, 2017Mr. 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 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.