CMCIA supports e-petition to remove sales tax from medical cannabis

OTTAWA, March 15, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) has endorsed and will actively support an electronic petition calling on the federal Minister of Finance to exempt medical cannabis from sales taxes, thereby treating medical cannabis consistently with other medically necessary therapies prescribed by a physician.

The e-petition to the Parliament of Canada was initiated on February 15, 2016 by Hilary Black, founder of the British Columbia Compassion Club Society, and now director of patient and community services at Licensed Producer Bedrocan Canada, notes that under the Excise Tax Act, drugs that are authorized by a healthcare practitioner and which are not available "over the counter," are zero-rated for tax purposes, meaning that no sales tax is applied.

"It is a matter of fundamental fairness, and of compassion for patients dealing with serious medical conditions," said Colette Rivet, Executive Director of CMCIA. "Patients use medical cannabis, as prescribed by their physician, to manage the symptoms of chronic illnesses. This is no different than patients' use of other prescription medicines to reduce symptoms and restore productivity and quality of life. Exempting medical cannabis from GST/HST is the right thing to do, and will help lower the cost burden on thousands of Canadian patients who are already facing the wide array of challenges associated with chronic illness."

The e-petition, which is open for signature until June 14, 2016, has approximately 7,000 signatures to date from across Canada, and is supported by all CMCIA members, as well as a number of other stakeholder groups in the health sector.

CMCIA encourages all Canadians to add their support and their voices on behalf of Canadians who use medical cannabis under the care of a physician. The e-petition can be accessed via the Parliamentary website:

https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-190

About CMCIA

The Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) is Canada's leading member-driven association for Licensed Producers (LPs) of medical cannabis. The Association represent the majority of producers currently licensed under Health Canada's Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR).

CMCIA's mission is to promote national standards and best practices by supporting the development, growth and integrity of the medical cannabis industry. The Association acts as the national voice for Canada's LPs, and serves as a credible and trusted resource on issues related to medical cannabis industry.

The Association shares a philosophy of patient-centric care and improved public health, and is committed to product safety and quality, secure and reliable access for registered patients, and the promotion of the safe and effective use of cannabis for medical purposes. www.cmcia.ca

SOURCE Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association

Cam Battley, Chair, Advocacy Committee, CMCIA, [email protected], +1.905.864.5525