Claiming Medical Cannabis as a Medical Expense

We’re just under a month out from the CRA’s new individual tax filing deadline of June 1st. While it’s never anyone’s favourite time of year, some good news is that CRA has confirmed that medical cannabis is an allowable expense. Individuals must have a prescription for medical cannabis from a qualified healthcare practitioner and have purchased from a Licensed Producer (LP).

For more information on the process and how to determine the amount you spent on medical cannabis, check out this informative blog post and video from Tilray. If you use another LP’s products, the process will likely be similar but you can always contact their customer service team for help.

Medical cannabis shouldn't be subject to tax: Ottawa Citizen

You’ve heard me talk about the cost burden of medical marijuana before; it’s an issue that’s very important to me as a doctor focused on patient and family-centred care.

When the federal government released its 2018 budget, it came as a surprise to many that it was planning to add a new excise tax on medical cannabis. Excise tax is usually reserved for products deemed to have a high social cost, such as tobacco or alcohol. However, a budget branded with the motto, “giving every Canadian a real and fair chance at success,” has seemed to overlook Canadian families already struggling with affordability and access to medical cannabis. 

In this article, Jenna Valleriani, does an excellent job exploring why medical cannabis, if authorized by a health-care provider for medical purposes, should be treated any different than most prescription medicines. 

If this issue is important to you, I encourage you to reach out to your local government representatives and make your voice heard. 

Yours in good health - Blake

Full article here.