November 24, 2023 (Prince George, BC/Lheidli T’enneh First Nation) – The BC Craft Farmers Co-Op (BCCFC) is calling on the federal government to reconsider their new GST policy that omits cannabis from the list of exempt items while including much more harmful alcohol products.
“Alcohol contributes to tens-of-thousands of Canadian deaths each year. The annual societal costs of sales and consumption are estimated at $20 billion. The associated health-care costs exceed $6 billion each year,” said BCCFC President Tara Kirkpatrick. “You can’t say the same about cannabis. We hope Canada will listen, add Canada to the exempt list and support a greener, happier holiday season for millions of adult Canadian cannabis consumers.”
The BC Craft Farmers Co-Op (BCCFC) represents BC craft cannabis farmers, processors, independent retailers and medical licence holders. Our mission is to support members transitioning to the new legal market, maintain BC’s global cannabis brand and ensure Canadian consumers continue to have access to high quality BC craft cannabis.
Here is a link to the letter the BCCFC President Kirkpatrick sent to the Minister of Finance in response to the policy. Tara is available for media interviews regarding this request.
“Since legalization, BCCFC has expressed concern that government policies are perpetuating stigmatization of cannabis, particularly compared to alcohol,” concluded Kirkpatrick. “While we appreciate the Minister’s desire to make life more affordable for Canadian families, this new GST scheme is another unfortunate example of this unfairness. Why are they favouring alcohol consumption and enterprise over legal cannabis businesses?”
In her letter to the Minister, Ms. Kirkpatrick noted that Health Canada has approved medical cannabis access for hundreds-of-thousands of Canadians from all walks of life for the past two decades. She added that numerous research studies have documented benefits.
Contact:
Tara Kirkpatrick, President
BC Craft Farmers Co-Op
info@bccraftfarmerscoop.com
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