Medical cannabis group begins campaign
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based non-profit organization Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana as begun a communications campaign called “Don’t Tax Medicine,” which is intended to encourage the federal government to remove taxed on medical cannabis from its 2019 budget. The effort includes a website at <http://www.donttaxmedicine.ca> from which consumers can send messages to members of Parliament. The promotion will run through February.
“In some provinces, sales and excise tax combine to increase the cost of medical cannabis by up to 25%,” said James O’Hara, president of the organization. “The government is making it incredibly hard for patients to manage the cost of their treatment and many tell us they cannot afford anywhere near their full dose. Over-taxing leads to under-dosing, which can aggravate symptoms, leading to additional strain on Canadian public health systems. These costs are passed on to all taxpayers.”