,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bi1    
#bjba,mr4 ,tester 7for himself and ,mr4 
,sullivan7 introduced the following     
bill2 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    
series of clinical trials on the effects
 of cannabis on certain health outcomes 
of veterans with chronic pain and       
post-traumatic stress disorder1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,,va ,medicinal
 ,cannabis ,research ,act of #bjba4  #b4
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs      
clinical trials on the effects of       
cannabis on certain health outcomes of  
veterans with chronic pain and          
post-traumatic stress disorder  7a7     
,clinical trials required  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans    
,affairs shall 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    
disorder4  7#b7 ,required elements ,the 
clinical trials required by paragraph   
7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 with respect  
to covered veterans diagnosed with      
chronic pain1 an evaluation of the      
effects of the use of cannabis on-- 7i7 
osteopathic pain 7including pain        
intensity and pain-related outcomes72   
7ii7 the reduction or increase in opioid
 use or dosage2  7iii7 the reduction or 
increase in benzodiazepine use or       
dosage2  7iv7 the reduction or increase 
in alcohol use2  7v7 inflammation2  7vi7
 sleep quality2  7vii7 agitation2 and   
7viii7 quality of life2  7,b7 with      
respect to covered veterans diagnosed   
with post-traumatic stress disorder1 an 
evaluation of the effects of the use of 
cannabis on-- 7i7 the symptoms of       
post-traumatic stress disorder 7,,ptsd7 
as established by or derived from the   

clinician administered ,,ptsd scale1 the
 ,,ptsd checklist1 the ,,ptsd symptom   
scale1 the post-traumatic diagnostic    
scale1 and other applicable methods of  
evaluating symptoms of post-traumatic   
stress disorder2  7ii7 the reduction or 
increase in benzodiazepine use or       
dosage2  7iii7 the reduction or increase
 in alcohol use2  7iv7 mood2  7v7       
anxiety2  7vi7 social functioning2      
7vii7 agitation2  7viii7 suicidal       
ideation2 and  7ix7 sleep quality1      
including frequency of nightmares and   
night terrors4  7#c7 ,optional elements 
,the clinical trials required by        
paragraph 7#a7 may include an evaluation
 of the effects of the use of cannabis  
to treat chronic pain and post-traumatic
 stress disorder on-- 7,a7 pulmonary    
function2  7,b7 cardiovascular events2  
7,c7 head1 neck1 and oral cancer2  7,d7 
testicular cancer2  7,e7 ovarian cancer2
  7,f7 transitional cell cancer2  7,g7  
intestinal inflammation2  7,h7 motor    
vehicle accidents2  7,i7 mania2  7,j7   

psychosis2  7,k7 cognitive effects2     
7,l7 cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome2  
7,m7 neuropathy2 or  7,n7 spasticity4   
7b7 ,long-,term observational study ,the
 ,secretary may carry out a long-term   
observational study of the participants 
in the clinical trials required by      
subsection 7a74  7c7 ,type of cannabis  
7#a7 ,in general ,in carrying out the   
clinical trials required by subsection  
7a71 the ,secretary shall study varying 
forms of cannabis1 including whole plant
 raw material and extracts4  7#b7 ,plant
 cultivars ,of the varying forms of     
cannabis required under paragraph 7#a71 
the ,secretary shall study not fewer    
than seven unique plant cultivars with  
ratios of tetrahydrocannabinol to       
cannabidiol in each of the following    
categories3 7,a7 ,less than #a3e4  7,b7 
,between #a3b and #a3e4  7,c7           
,approximately #a3b4  7,d7              
,approximately #a3a4  7,e7              
,approximately #b3a4  7,f7 ,between #b3a
 and #e3a4  7,g7 ,more than #e3a4  7d7  

,use of control and experimental groups 
,the clinical trials required by        
subsection 7a7 shall include both a     
control group and an experimental group 
that shall-- 7#a7 be of similar size and
 structure2 and  7#b7 represent the     
demographics of the veteran population1 
as determined by the most recent data   
from the ,american ,community ,survey of
 the ,bureau of the ,census that is     
available prior to the commencement of  
the clinical trials4  7e7 ,data         
preservation ,the clinical trials       
required by subsection 7a7 shall include
 a mechanism to ensure the preservation 
of all data1 including all data sets1   
collected or used for purposes of such  
trials in a manner that will facilitate 
further research4  7f7 ,implementation  
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 develop a plan  
to implement this section and submit    
such plan to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  

the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives2 and    
7#b7 issue any requests for proposals   
the ,secretary determines appropriate   
for such implementation4  7g7 ,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     
under subsection 7a7 or a study under   
subsection 7b74  7h7 ,periodic reports  
,during the five-year period beginning  
on the date of the enactment of this    
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit       
periodically1 but not less frequently   
than annually1 to the ,committee on     
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives reports 
on the implementation of this section4  
7i7 ,covered veteran defined ,in this   
section1 the term covered veteran means 

a veteran who is enrolled in the patient
 enrollment system of the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs established and     
operated under section #agje7;a7 of     
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4