[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 102 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPASSIONATE ACCESS, RESEARCH EXPANSION AND 
                      RESPECT STATES (CARERS) ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2017

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Compassionate 
Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act, also known as the 
CARERS Act. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would allow states to set 
their own policies on medical marijuana, allow states to import 
Cannabidiol to treat patients with seizures, give the Veterans 
Administration physicians the ability to recommend medical marijuana to 
patients and improve opportunities for research on marijuana.
  The consensus on medical marijuana is already overwhelming and 
continues to build. According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 93 
percent of Americans believe people should be allowed to use medically 
prescribed marijuana.
  93 percent of Americans rarely agree on anything.
  In November, North Dakota, Montana, Florida and Arkansas joined a 
growing majority of states that have legalized medical marijuana. 
Twenty-nine states plus the District of Columbia have approved medical 
marijuana.
  Even CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who was once 
skeptical of medical marijuana, has publicly endorsed it.
  Yet, our federal laws continue to treat patients and the doctors and 
families who care for them like criminals.
  It is long overdue for our federal law to reflect the common sense 
views of 93 percent of Americans and stop adding to the suffering of 
those with horrible illnesses.
  One such patient was my constituent, Chloe Grauer. At 3 years old, 
Chloe suffered from a rare neurological disease that caused her to have 
100 to 200 seizures a day. She tried dozens of medications and 
underwent surgical procedures but nothing stopped the seizures.
  Her family tried desperately to treat her with Cannabidiol--also 
known as ``Charlotte's Web'' or ``CBD'' for short--which has been shown 
to treat certain diseases that cause seizures, such as the disease from 
which Chloe suffered. CBD is derived from cannabis plants, and even 
though it contains just trace amounts of the psychoactive ingredient in 
marijuana--nowhere near enough to produce a high--but it is currently 
illegal under federal law. Even this tiny amount of the ingredient, 
THC, was enough for the federal government to keep a potentially life-
saving drug away from Chloe.
  Chloe died without receiving CBD.
  This should never have happened. We must ensure that this never 
happens again.
  Just as our children deserve to be treated compassionately, so, too, 
do our veterans. Federal law currently prohibits VA doctors from 
prescribing medical marijuana when they feel it is medically 
beneficial. Our veterans deserve the best medical advice from their 
doctors, not arbitrary limits on what their doctors can do to help 
them. Veterans are tough. They can handle frank advice from their 
doctors.
  I want to thank my colleague Don Young of Alaska for his partnership 
on this bill as well as Senators Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Rand 
Paul, Mike Lee, Al Franken and Lisa Murkowski for their leadership on 
this legislation. I urge both the House and Senate to pass this 
swiftly.

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