The group acting in support of cannabis patients has gained more allies as a key government announcement looms
The Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) is repeating its call for the removal of taxes on medical cannabis — and this time, it’s not alone.
Yesterday on Parliament Hill, the group was joined by patients, elected officials, and allies in the cannabis sector as it urged the federal government to remove the burden from Canadians who need the substance for health purposes.
“More than 480,000 Canadian patients require medical cannabis to help them manage a variety of issues, from chronic pain and Arthritis, to mental health,” said CFAMM President Gerald Major. “The government is making it incredibly difficult for patients to manage the cost of their treatment and many tell us they cannot afford their physician recommended dose.”
According to CFAMM, patients and supporters of its #DontTaxMedicine campaign have sent over 27,000 emails to elected officials. The group added that it is rapidly getting more commitments from patient organizations and the cannabis sector in support of the effort.
The group also had the backing of elected officials including Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, CPC MP Marilyn Gladu of the Official Opposition, and NDP MP Don Davies.
When the federal government legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults, it introduced an excise duty that was also applied to medical cannabis. However, CFAMM noted that the tax raised costs and hurt patients, with sales and excise taxes combining to increase the cost of the substance by up to 25% in some provinces.
It further insisted that excise duties ought to be applied to products that threaten public health or the environment, such as alcohol, tobacco, and gasoline. With an excise tax in place, CFAMM said, more patients are being driven into the unregulated black market or forced to consider under-dosing, which could lead to additional costs for Canada’s public health systems.
Aurora Cannabis, one of the corporate supporters of the campaign, has also unveiled a website for a “Cannabis Tax Ticker,” which displays the estimated total tax revenue that has been collected from medical cannabis patients since legalization.
“Medical cannabis patients are already dealing with all the challenges associated with a chronic illness, and many of them are in income constrained situations," said Aurora Cannabis' Chief Corporate Officer Cam Battley. "[W]e are calling on all licensed producers in Canada to join us in a collective advocacy and lobbying campaign to successfully persuade government to abolish these unjust, unwise and punitive taxes on patients.”
