Introduction of Carers Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce CARERS Act, a bipartisan House companion to a bipartisan Senate bill that would allow states to set their own policies on medical marijuana, and give Veterans Administration physicians the ability to recommend medical marijuana to their patients.

The consensus on medical marijuana is overwhelming. Last year, a CBS News Poll found 86 percent of Americans thought doctors should be allowed to prescribe small amounts of marijuana for patients suffering from serious illnesses.

86 percent of Americans rarely agree on anything.

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 86 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.

Late last year, 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.

Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced a bill that would make vitally necessary, common sense changes to federal law that would allow for greater access to medically necessary marijuana: the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act. The bill builds upon efforts here in the House of Representatives. I applaud all of these efforts, and am proud to help keep the momentum going by introducing a bipartisan House companion to this bill with my colleague Don Young of Alaska.

I urge the House to pass this bill swiftly, bring a dose of sanity to our federal drug policy, and extend some much needed compassion to those suffering from horrible illnesses.

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