When marijuana is fully legal in October, recreational and medical products will be taxed the same.
Medical marijuana is already subject to HST, which does not apply to other prescription drugs. But when legalization takes effect in October, users will also have to pay an excise tax of $1 per gram, or 10 per cent of the retail price, whichever is greater.
“I don’t think it’s fair that I have to pay tax on medication to begin with… and now they’re adding more taxes to it,” said Jean-François Turcotte, who uses medical marijuana to relieve the pain of injuries from a car accident three years ago.