Patient Groups Unite to Oppose New Government Tax on Medicine
12 national not-for-profits representing AIDS, spondylitis, arthritis, hospice, cardiac, crohn’s and colitis, gastrointestinal, Huntington’s, skin cancer and spondylitis patients among others, as well as pharmacists, united to oppose the Finance Minister’s plan to tax medical cannabis.
OTTAWA – Today, united in fierce opposition to the federal Finance Minister’s misguided proposal to apply a sin tax to medical cannabis, 12 national health-focused non-profits and charities including the Canadian AIDS Society, the Arthritis Society, and Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana jointly submitted a response to the government’s consultation process repudiating its recommendations on behalf of their members.
In summary their submission stated: “the government’s proposal to extend the excise duty framework to cannabis for medical purposes places an inappropriate, unfair burden on patients”. It urged the government to “reconsider this plan as it moves forward with its proposed cannabis taxation regime (including both excise and sales taxes)”.
It went on to point to the financial hardships faced by medical cannabis patients, some of whom pay upwards of $500 per month for their or their family member’s medicine. The group ultimately recommended that cannabis for medical purposes be zero-rated and exempt from excise and sales taxes. While the groups were shocked by the government’s initial recommendation, they remain hopeful that the Minister of Finance will listen to patients.
Grassroots support for the advocacy efforts of these organizations has manifested itself on CFAMM’s campaign website where over 14,000 patients have spoken up, sending messages to their Members of Parliament. Patients across the country have embraced the campaign hashtag. Their thoughts can be found on Twitter at #DontTaxMedicine
About Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana
Founded in 2014, Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) is a federal non-profit, patient-run organization dedicated to protecting and improving the rights of medical cannabis patients. CFAMM’s goal is to enable patients to obtain fair and safe access to medical cannabis with a special focus on affordability, including private and public insurance coverage. For more information, visit www.cfamm.ca.