Representative Lou Correa introduced H.R. 10655 on October 1, 2026, with original cosponsors including Representative Jack Bergman. GovInfo records its referral to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The retrieved 2026 History of Bills contains its introduction and referral, without a passage entry. This article examines that proposed text. [2][3]
The first stage would be an observational study of veterans enrolled in VA care who have chronic pain or PTSD. It would combine records, interviews, and a survey to examine beneficial and adverse outcomes, including medication use, sleep, quality of life, and new or worsened conditions. Implementation would begin within 180 days after enactment, and the study would run for 18 months. [1]
Clinical trials would follow only if VA determined it could meet the criteria to proceed, using cannabis appropriate for investigational use under FDA requirements. The trials would study different cannabis forms and THC-to-CBD ratios. VA could terminate trials if clinical requirements could not be met or participants faced excessive risk. [1]
The draft would protect participants’ eligibility for other benefits and require anonymized research data. It preserves FDA authority. Those provisions concern research participation; the bill does not establish a general VA cannabis prescribing or dispensing program, and it does not prove a particular product is effective. [1]
The VA National Center for PTSD currently says the evidence does not support cannabis as an effective PTSD treatment. It also identifies the 2023 VA/DoD guideline’s recommendation against using cannabis for PTSD. [4]
Verification limit: the live Congress.gov action page was unavailable during the November 14, 2026 review. Consult that official page for subsequent legislative movement; the research program described here should not be treated as enacted. [5]
Our position.
Research should include veterans’ experiences, voluntary participation, and strong privacy protections. Congress should fund representative enrollment and require publication of both positive and negative findings about benefits, harms, doses, and product differences.
Questions and next steps.
Ask your representative whether they support advancing H.R. 10655 through the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Request a clear position on research funding, participant protections, and publication of both positive and negative findings.
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