Pubdate: Tue, 14 Nov 2017
Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2017 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.winnipegsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503
Author: Sarah Hanlon
Page: 11

FED'S TAX PROMISE GOES UP IN SMOKE

That fury you hear?

The betrayal medical cannabis patients and activists feel after the
federal government went back on yet another promise surrounding legal
marijuana.

Last Friday, the Department of Finance announced a federal tax
proposal that could see an excise charge of $1/gram or 10% (whichever
is higher) on both recreational and medical cannabis. According to
Ottawa, the revenues will be shared equally between the feds,
provinces and territories.

So what are they smoking? The shady government is apparently
'concerned' users will lie to their doctors, pretend to be sick and
navigate the complex workings of the medical cannabis system in order
to save the extra 10% tax that would be reserved for recreational pot.

Liberal MP, parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice and
lead on the legal pot program Bill Blair defended the proposal,
saying, "We do not want the taxation levels to be an incentive for
people to utilize that system inappropriately."

It's hard to believe anything a Liberal says on the subject, to be
honest. Including the selfie-in-chief.

During a Vice-sponsored town hall last spring, Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau promised Canadians that the medical system wasn't going to
change.

Trudeau told activist and artist Ian Campeau - who opened up about his
wife's treatments with breast cancer - with his increasingly arrogant
and so-called passion:

"Listen, I absolutely appreciate what you are saying and I have heard
stories like that all across the country, as has Bill [Blair]. That's
why the current medical marijuana regime will stay in place exactly as
is. So how your wife is accessing her medical marijuana right now will
continue beyond the legalization framework that we are bringing in for
recreational. We are not going to be removing or reducing or limiting
in any way the medical marijuana field."

Adding a 10% levy to an already overpriced medication could not only
change the medical marijuana program - it could also destroy it.

Many people who use cannabis treatments already struggle to afford
their medication.

Unlike other prescriptions, medical cannabis is already burdened with
GST/HST and is almost never covered by health insurance.

Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM), who have been
lobbying the government to remove the current sales taxes already
applied to medical cannabis, are now ramping up their efforts.

It believes that both taxes unfairly disadvantage patients by
burdening them with pressure to make treatment choices based on
finances rather than their health.

CFAMM is asking Canadians to make their voices heard through their
#Donttaxmedicine letter writing, video and selfie campaign - the idea
being to make the pleas as personal as possible.

Licensed Producers of medical cannabis are also on a mission to shut
down this proposed tax.

Cam Battley, executive vice-president of Aurora Cannabis, took to
Twitter to rally the community: "I suspect the reaction to this will
be strong, and will unite all of us like never before. Rally time."

Tilray, another LP, also warned in a statement: "Taxing medical and
recreational cannabis at the same rate will erode the medical cannabis
system, negatively impacting Canadian patients."

As a marijuana activist, I haven't seen such consistent pushback
regarding any cannabis policy, albeit a proposal, like this - which
means Trudeau and Blair are in for a fight.

Visit donttaxmedicine.ca to have your voice heard in an easy and quick
way before the deadline on Dec. 7.

And soon, the sound you'll hear is the marijuana black market
rejoicing when consumers return to them after this malfunction occurs.
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MAP posted-by: Matt