Republicans Back Out Against Bill Aimed at Studying Cannabis to Help Veterans Suffering from Pain and PTSD
Several Senate Republican members shockingly revolted against advancing a bipartisan bill which would allow the Veterans Affairs Department to perform studies and clinical trials on the use of cannabis for treating chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A bipartisan bill aiming to help veterans was unfortunately crushed this past April 2023 (1). In a shocking vote, 57-42, the GOP killed Veterans Affairs Medicinal Cannabis Research Bill (S. 326) (2), just missing the 60 votes needed to move forward. Just before the vote, Senator Jon Cornyn reported that there was a Senate Republican policy lunch where a debate occurred and may have changed several Republican members support.
Critics of the bill feared over political concerns, such as the recognition that if the bill succeeded in the Senate, it would potentially be perceived as a big victory for Senator Job Tester, a Democrat who chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee and is also up for reelection in the red state of Montana (1). Going into the vote, Democrats were expecting to come out with a win for veterans because the legislation had bipartisan support in committee.
The bill was supported by 8 Republicans, which included the top Republican on the committee, Senator Jerry Moran.
Cornyn explained there are concerns about the methodology of the proposed clinical trials because (1) “this retrospective study would be done strictly through volunteers who would come forward and talk about their experience with marijuana and PTSD,” and “it depends on people to self-select and we don’t know how that would skew the results.” The senator also mentioned that members of his political party did not have “assurances” that they would be able to offer amendments to the legislation and that there were questions about whatever version of the bill that passes, would be taken up in the GOP-controlled House.
Senator Cornyn did imply that negotiations over the bill would continue and the Senate may look into picking it back up soon. He referred to the recent vote as “hitting the pause button” (1).
Not long after the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, stated that it was “regrettable” about the bill being blocked and hoped there would be talks to revive it for it to pass.
References
Ep 27: Tracking Strains in Diverse Landscapes
July 2nd 2025In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge, we are joined by Daniela Vergara, PhD, Hemp Specialist at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Anna Schwabe, PhD, Associate Lecture Professor at the University of Colorado, discussing the evolution of cannabis cultivation and the need for regional climate data. Their recent project, funded by the Agricultural Genomics Foundation, studies 10 cannabis varieties grown by farmers in different regions, specifically plant characteristics, soil type, and harvest metrics. They aim to understand how environmental factors affect cannabis yield and quality, providing actionable insights for farmers and breeders.
Ep 26: Innovations in Drying and Curing to Protect Flower Quality
May 27th 2025In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge, we are joined by Dr. Allison Justice, Founder and CEO of the Hemp Mine, and David Sandelman COO, CTO & Co-Founder of Cannatrol. Here, Allison and David discuss innovations in cannabis drying and curing, focusing on the Cannatrol technology which controls vapor pressure, preserving trichome integrity, and flower quality. Additionally, Allison shares how the Cannabis Research Center and Coalition (CRC) is transition to an open-source model to support cultivators, researchers, and home growers.
