Adding tax to Canada’s MMJ draws ire of industry, patients

Licensed medical marijuana producers and patients groups are urging the Canadian government to reconsider its plan to impose an extra tax on MMJ.

Ottawa wants to levy an excise tax on both recreational and medical marijuana.

Groups such as Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana and Arthritis Society had been calling on the government to remove existing taxes on medical cannabis and give it the same treatment as other prescription medicines, such as opioids, the Montreal Gazette reported.

What you need to know:

  • Discontent with the new tax plan is spreading. An executive of one of Canada’s biggest LPs took to Twitter, calling for opponents to mobilize against the tax.
  • Licensed producers, including Canopy, Tilray, MedReleaf and Aurora, have spoken out against taxing medical marijuana.
  • Bill Blair, the federal government’s point man on legalizing marijuana, said the taxes help prevent people from faking an illness to gain access to cheaper medical cannabis.

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