O Canada! Patients who purchase medical cannabis from licensed producers under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) are eligible to expense their purchases under the Income Tax Act. The Canada Revenue Agency weighed in, saying:
“…The Canada Revenue Agency will not disallow eligible medical expenses claimed for the purchase of medical marihuana allowable under these new regulations.”
Yes, Canadians, you can expense your legal medical marijuana if you’re a valid patient purchasing products from a licensed producer under Health Canada’s guidelines. Meanwhile, the country’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, insists that a majority of Canadians are opposed to cannabis legalization, saying that when it becomes legal, it’s “more readily available to children” and “more people become addicted”:
“We just think that’s the wrong direction for society and I don’t think that’s the way most Canadians want to deal with this particular problem.”
His statements contradict a recent poll alleging that 65% of Canadians support at least the decriminalization of cannabis. With Canada currently in a recession and an election rapidly approaching (October 19), Harper could be feeling some heat from more canna-friendly candidates such as Tom Mulcair, who recently pledged to decriminalize cannabis if the New Democratic Party prevails, and Justin Trudeau, who has publicly stated that he’s in favor of legalizing cannabis.
We’ll have to wait and see how October 19 turns out; in the meantime, Canadian medical marijuana patients, get those expense reports in!
