Thank you, Chair.
The current rollout here in Canada is that recreational and medical cannabis are considered the same in terms of the tax regime. You have HST, GST and then excise on top of that tax, and then a third tax that is being collected. Ours is being collected. I'm not sure of the exact rate, but I think it's around 15% or 16% on medical cannabis. There is an initiative in this country to move it to the Colorado model or that of the other states. I know, having done the research, that the other states do not have the tax. This boils down to some of the most vulnerable people not having accessibility because of the tax laws of this country and because of this particular government that rolled it out.
In my comments to you—and I would invite the other witnesses to weigh in on this matter—I will say that there are two distinctions here: medicine and recreational use. Being experts in the field of cannabis, do you make those distinctions in your minds?
I think I know the answer from the doctor from McMaster through his comments, but more particularly to our two witnesses coming in by video conference, do you make those distinctions? Also, do you believe that medical cannabis going to veterans and other vulnerable communities who are getting it by prescription should be subject to excise tax and other taxes that push up the price of this product, while at the same time every other prescription drug in Canada is not taxed?