From December 14, 2024, to February 15, 2025, Canada will observe a “GST Holiday,” exempting select items from the 5% GST. Liquor under 7% alcohol makes the list, but cannabis does not. Nadine Furnell of the BC Craft Farmers Co-op (BCCFC), calls this decision a lingering stigma against the cannabis industry.
“They could have attached it to more important items than alcohol,” she notes, “or cannabis.”
At North Country Cannabis in Prince George, retailers Annie Lewis and Jonathan Stewart share the frustration. After pointing out a number of inconsistencies in federal regulation. “I think there should be more parity within the industry. If there’s going to be regulations across all of these, then they should at least fit into a more uniform system,” says Stewart.
While the GST exemption might not yield significant savings for cannabis customers, its exclusion highlights ongoing inequities. This for many in the industry, the Federal Government has landed on their naughty list this holiday season.
Story also available on frequencynews.ca, 88.7 FM in Prince George—Lheidli T’enneh, and cfur.ca/listen-live Mon-Fri 7:30am & 5pm PST
CFUR Radio Society’s journalist, Ian Gregg is funded by the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) through the Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC).