Rep. Lou Correa has reintroduced legislation that would require the VA to study whether medicinal cannabis can safely help Veterans living with chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Correa, a Democrat who represents California’s 46th Congressional District, introduced the bipartisan VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2026 on Oct. 1 with Republican Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan. Democratic Reps. Seth Moulton (Mass.), Val Hoyle (Ore.), and Dina Titus (Nev.) are also original cosponsors.
The bill, H.R. 10655, would direct the VA to conduct a large study examining cannabis use and health outcomes among VA-enrolled Veterans with chronic pain or PTSD. The VA would review medical and benefits records and use surveys and interviews with Veterans to evaluate possible benefits and risks.
The research would investigate whether cannabis use is associated with changes in opioid and benzodiazepine use, alcohol consumption, substance use disorders, sleep, pain, quality of life, hospital readmissions, and mental health conditions.
If the VA determines it can meet the requirements needed to proceed with clinical trials, the bill would require additional research involving Veterans with chronic pain or PTSD. The trials could examine different forms of cannabis and products containing different ratios of THC and CBD. Depending on the condition being studied, researchers would examine outcomes including PTSD symptoms, mood, anxiety, social functioning, sleep, suicidal thoughts, pain, and opioid use.
The legislation comes as chronic pain remains especially common among Veterans. The department reports that about 31.5 percent of Veterans experience chronic pain compared with 20.1 percent of non-Veterans. The VA also says chronic pain is often more severe among Veterans and can increase the risk of opioid use disorder.
Opioid overdose deaths have declined nationally in recent years but remain a major public health concern. The CDC provisionally estimated that opioids were involved in 44,564 overdose deaths in 2025, and recorded 54,045 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2024.
The VA has also continued studying non-drug and whole-person approaches to managing chronic pain. Research published in 2026 involving 764 VA patients across six VA health systems found that Veterans receiving VA Whole Health care experienced greater improvements in how chronic pain affected daily life after 12 months compared with Veterans receiving usual care or cognitive behavioral therapy alone.
The cannabis bill would not legalize medical cannabis within the VA or allow VA doctors to prescribe it. The VA currently follows federal law, which continues to classify marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance. VA clinicians cannot recommend medical marijuana, complete paperwork for state cannabis programs, fill cannabis prescriptions, or pay for the products.
Veterans who participate in legal state cannabis programs do not lose their eligibility for VA healthcare or benefits. The VA encourages Veterans to tell their healthcare providers about cannabis use so it can be considered when making treatment decisions.
Congress has introduced similar legislation in previous sessions. A Senate version in 2023 received 57 votes on a cloture motion but fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance. The new House bill was referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on Oct. 1 and had not advanced beyond the committee referral as of Oct. 9.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted family connection to the military, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.