Senate panel approves cannabis research bill

A US Senate panel last week approved a bill directing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to research cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The bipartisan bill, introduced Feb. 9 by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and co-sponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska, was approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in a closed vote on Thursday.

Under the bill (p. 326), the VA would be mandated to conduct a large-scale observational study evaluating the safety and efficacy of cannabis for the treatment of PTSD and chronic pain. An identical bill (HR 1003) sponsored by California Democratic Representative Lou Correa is also pending in the House of Representatives with Republican Representative Jack Bergman signed into law as a co-sponsor.

The observational study would examine the positive and negative health effects of cannabis use by veterans, including whether marijuana use reduces alcohol or opiate use. The study would also examine other aspects of medicinal cannabis use, including sleep quality, pain intensity, agitation and overall quality of life. Once the trial is complete, legislation requires the VA to report to Congress on the results and the feasibility of conducting clinical trials.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, said in a statement as he introduced the bill earlier this month that the legislation will give military veterans new ways to manage their health care.

“Our nation’s veterans deserve options when it comes to treating the wounds of war, which is why VA needs to have a better understanding of how medicinal cannabis is playing a role in their healing,” Tester said. “Our bipartisan bill ensures VA listens to the growing number of veterans who are finding vital relief from alternative treatments such as medical cannabis, while working to empower veterans to make safe, informed decisions about their health.”

A new milestone in cannabis policy reform

Lawmakers in both houses of Congress have introduced similar legislation in recent years, including a bill approved by the House Veterans Affairs Committee two years ago. However, Thursday’s Senate panel approval is the first advancement of a cannabis research bill by a veteran in the upper chamber of Congress.

“Many of our brave men and women in uniform suffer invisible wounds of war because of their sacrifices for our country, wounds that often manifest themselves in post-traumatic stress,” Sullivan said in a statement when the bill was introduced. “We owe it to these brave military members, past and present, to research and better understand new cures for these mental health challenges that are safe and effective, treatments that could bring hope to our suffering veterans.”

The tester’s bill also directs the VA to evaluate the agency’s ability to coordinate FDA-approved clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of cannabis and cannabis extracts for veteran healthcare. If approved by the VA, the clinical trials would provide study participants with cannabis products from government-licensed manufacturers and compare the results to a control group.

Thursday’s approval of p. 326 by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is being hailed by advocates of medical marijuana and cannabis policy reform as a significant step forward in the movement to end cannabis prohibition in the United States.

“I’m heartened to see the US Senate taking a significant step forward in what should be a priority we all agree on – caring for our country’s veterans and providing alternative treatments for things like PTSD and chronic.” Pain management,” Steven Jung, a U.S. Army veteran and chief operations officer of cannabis company PAX, in an email to High Times. “Veterans are in crisis and at much higher risk of suicide than the national average, and it’s time we acted now.”