Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to my colleague for the amendment. I think at the end of the day, though, the excise duty does not apply to products, as pointed out, that have drug identification numbers, DINs, or that are prescribed by a physician. I think that's an important clarification. For example, under the current system, doctors provide authorization, not a prescription, for medical cannabis.
Moving forward, I think accessing a DIN, or going through the rigorous process and the trials to receive a DIN, is an important step in this country toward ensuring that when prescriptions and products receive DINs, it's done so in a process that I think all Canadians come to expect with these types of products. There is an avenue. I do think we'll get there one day. Cannabis producers for medical purposes will go through that process, and I think they should. Once they have the drug identification number, then it is already built into the legislation that they have the excise duty exemption.
I think we're creating a system that is fair. I don't think we want to go down the road where people start arguing about why certain products shouldn't have to go through the drug identification number process. I'm perfectly comfortable that there is an avenue to be exempt for medical cannabis as long as they go through the process that I think other products have to go through as well. Moving forward, a doctor can then prescribe it in the same manner.
I'm happy that there's a path to get there. As I said, I think we will eventually get there, but it's up to those cannabis producers to go through the rigorous testing that I think all Canadians would expect. That would then automatically kick into the existing legislation. So I won't support the amendment, because I think that's an important step that should be taken in order to have this exemption.