Lou Correa said, “With the opioid crisis raging across America, it is imperative to the health and safety of our veterans that we find alternative treatments for chronic pain and service-related injuries.
“Last Congress, my bill became the first cannabis bill to pass the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“Veterans across the country continue to suffer from chronic pain and PTSD as a result of their service, and too many are being lost to opioid overdose and suicide here at home,” said Rep.
“VA needs to take its cues from the growing number of veterans who find critical relief through medicinal cannabis in treating the wounds of war,” said Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman Jon Tester.
“With so much anecdotal information out there about veterans using cannabis to ease everything from chronic pain to PTSD, it is vital for VA to investigate if, when, and for whom, various forms and doses of cannabis may be effective,” said House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano.
BACKGROUND: The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2021 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage by veterans with diagnoses.
He serves as Chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability, and is a Member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.