Street cannabis not legitimate healthcare cost: Tax authority

A court in the Netherlands has ruled against a man who wanted to deduct cannabis he bought from a coffee shop from his income tax as healthcare costs, De Telegraaf reports. The man received a prescription for medicinal cannabis from a doctor for pain. The man then proceeded to by some of his cannabis from a pharmacy and some it from coffee shops. He then filed for a deduction of 5,475 euros for cannabis use as well as almost 2,800 for transport (he bought a van to transport his scooter) in his 2010 tax return. The tax authority thought that the total tax deduction of more than 8,800 was too high. Which is when the man turned to court. The court ruled in favor of the tax authority. The man claimed that he bought some of his cannabis at coffee shops due to cost considerations - the coffee shops are cheaper than the pharmacy. But the court ruled that he was not allowed to buy from the coffee shops as a doctor always prescribes medicinal cannabis, which is only available at a pharmacy. There is also some uncertainty about whether the man actually bought the cannabis as he had no receipts. When filing his tax return the man claimed that he paid 10 euros per gram of cannabis at the coffee shop. The price of medical marijuana at a pharmacy is 8.90 euro per gram.