On November 10th, the Canadian Federal Finance Minister, Hon. Bill Morneau, announced his intention to apply an excise tax to both non-medical and medical cannabis.
While the Arthritis Society and Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) together recognizes and welcomes continued consultations, we believe the government’s announcement to apply excise tax to medical cannabis unfairly disadvantages patients. Indeed, applying any tax to medically prescribed cannabis is inconsistent with the taxation of prescription medicines, which are tax exempt.
In combination with severely limited insurance coverage and the application of sales tax, the affordability of medical cannabis is already a significant issue. With the addition of these new taxes, patients will be forced to make treatment choices based on finances, including switching to less effective medications with severe side effects, such as opioids. The proposed application of excise tax to medical cannabis will further compound these issues and will impose significant barriers for patient access.
In response, CFAMM has been at the front of a patient-led revolt against the federal government. Outraged and disappointed, CFAMM launched a platform for Canadians to take their message to Parliament Hill called the #DontTaxMedicine campaign.
With over 12,000 letters sent to Members of Parliament and other policymakers since mid-November, CFAMM has been able to mobilize a significant base of concerned Canadians, with even more expected to join the chorus as the campaign grows.
In a press release on November 28th, Jonathan Zaid, Founder and Executive Director of CFAMM noted, “We heard from patients in every province across the country, angry and devastated to learn that their medical treatment would be made even less affordable by the Minister of Finance. Patients and their family members can’t understand why a sin tax reserved for alcohol and cigarettes is being applied to their medicine.”
CFAMM’s campaign website features several calls to action and encourages patients to send their own original messages to their Members of Parliament by December 7th, when the consultation closes. Patients, their families, and major industry players have all joined the rising chorus urging the federal Liberals to drop this cynical gambit, tweeting their thoughts at #DontTaxMedicine.
The Arthritis Society and CFAMM have been advocating for the zero-rated taxation of medical cannabis and earmarked investments for medically-focused research, for the past three years. Together, the two organizations have been leaders in representing medical cannabis patients’ issues including research and access.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Let the government know taxing medical cannabis is wrong.
Join the #DontTaxMedicine campaign and make your voice heard TODAY.
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