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| Long title | To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis, and for other purposes. |
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| Enacted by | the 118th United States Congress |
| Legislative history | |
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The Veterans Cannabis Analysis, Research, and Effectiveness (CARE) Act was introduced in the 117th U.S. Congress in 2021 as H.R. 2932 and in the 118th Congress as H.R. 3584 in 2023.
The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of certain forms of cannabis. Including with different THC and CBD concentrations and cannabis delivery for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system and diagnosed with conditions such as chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). [1]
The 2021 bill was announced in April [2] and advanced to committees but did not reach the floor. [3]
The 2023 bill was introduced by Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R ‑ IA 1st) in May, 2023. [4] In January 2024 the bill gained two bipartisan cosponsors: Representative David Joyce (R ‑ OH 14th) and Delegate Eleanor H. Norton (D ‑ DC).
The United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health held hearings on the bill on March 21, 2024. [5] At the hearings, the Veterans Administration (VA) supported the bill with amendments to reject administrative provisions related with reporting of psychedelics. [6]
In the United States, the removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the category reserved for drugs that have "no currently accepted medical use", is a proposed legal and administrative change in cannabis-related law at the federal level. After being proposed repeatedly since 1972, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated 2024 rulemaking to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. The majority of 2024 public comments supported descheduling, decriminalizing, or legalizing marijuana at the federal level.
The standing Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the United States House of Representatives oversees agencies, reviews current legislation, and recommends new bills or amendments concerning U.S. military veterans. Jurisdiction includes retiring and disability pensions, life insurance, education, vocational training, medical care, and home loan guarantees. The committee oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans' hospitals, and veterans' cemeteries, except cemeteries under the Secretary of the Interior.
In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 39 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of March 2023. Ten other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.
Larry Dean Bucshon is an American politician and physician who has been the U.S. representative for Indiana's 8th congressional district from 2011 to 2025. He is a member of the Republican Party.
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The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act is a series of federal marijuana decriminalization bills that have been introduced multiple times in the United States Congress.
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The Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014 is a bill that would allow United States veterans to receive their healthcare from non-VA facilities under certain conditions. The bill is a response to the Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014, in which it was discovered that there was systematic lying about the wait times veterans experienced waiting to be seen by doctors. By June 5, 2014, Veterans Affairs internal investigations had identified a total of 35 veterans who had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix VHA system. Another audit determined that "more than 57,000 veterans waited at least 90 days to see a doctor, while another 63,000 over the last decade never received an initial appointment."
The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, also known as the Veterans Choice Act, is a United States public law that is intended to address the ongoing Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014. The law expanded the number of options veterans have for receiving care and granted the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs more power to fire senior executives. The Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 began with the discovery that there was on-going systematic lying by the Veterans Health Administration about the wait times veterans experienced waiting to be seen by doctors. By June 5, 2014, Veterans Affairs internal investigations had identified a total of 35 veterans who had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix VHA system. Another audit determined that "more than 57,000 veterans waited at least 90 days to see a doctor, while another 63,000 over the last decade never received an initial appointment."
The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act was a bill proposed in the 115th United States Congress that would recognize legalization of cannabis and the U.S. state laws that have legalized it through their legislatures or citizen initiative. It was introduced on June 7, 2018, by Senators Cory Gardner and Elizabeth Warren. A companion bill was introduced the same day in the House of Representatives, sponsored by Earl Blumenauer and David Joyce. The act would amend the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 to exempt from federal enforcement individuals or corporations in states who are in compliance with U.S. state, U.S. territory and the District of Columbia, or tribal law on cannabis, with certain additional provisions such as minimum ages. The banking provisions of the STATES Act have been reintroduced as the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2019 in the 116th U.S. Congress by Ed Perlmutter in the House, and by Jeff Merkley in the Senate. As of September 18, 2019, the House bill had 206 cosponsors, and the Senate bill had 33 cosponsors.
Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks is an American physician and politician who has served as a U.S. representative from Iowa since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she represents the state's 1st congressional district. Her district, numbered as the 2nd district in her first term, includes most of Iowa's southeastern quadrant, including Davenport, Bettendorf, Burlington, and Iowa City. Miller-Meeks previously served as the Iowa state senator from the 41st district from 2019 to 2021.
Ashley Elizabeth Hinson is an American politician and journalist serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district since 2021. The district, numbered as the 1st district during her first term, covers much of northeastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque.
The SAFE Banking Act, officially H.R. 1595, full title Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act, also referred to as the SAFE Banking Act of 2019, and as of 2023 the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, is proposed legislation regarding disposition of funds gained through the cannabis industry in the United States.
Cannabis legislation proposals are legislative proposals which failed to make it into law. Below are lists, broken down into national jurisdictions, of proposed legislation regarding cannabis.
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This article incorporates public domain material from Summary of H.R. 3584: Veterans CARE Act. Congressional Research Service.
