Ontario Cannabis Laws: What Adults Need to Know

Recreational cannabis has been legal in Canada since October 2018, but "legal" comes with a long list of conditions, and most of them are set by the province. This guide covers the Ontario rules that matter day to day for adults living in or visiting Greater Sudbury.

You have to be 19

In Ontario you must be 19 or older to buy, use, possess or grow recreational cannabis. That's the same minimum age as alcohol and tobacco in the province. Expect to be asked for government-issued photo ID.

How much you can carry: the 30-gram limit

You can have up to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or the equivalent, in public at any one time. That's roughly an ounce.

Not everything is sold as dried flower, so the law sets equivalents. One gram of dried cannabis counts the same as:

So a 355 ml cannabis drink counts as just over 5 g of dried cannabis toward your limit, and a gram of concentrate counts as 4 g.

Where you can and can't smoke or vape

Ontario treats smoking and vaping cannabis much like smoking tobacco. In general you can smoke or vape:

• in a private residence (unless it's also a workplace, such as a long-term care home)
• in many outdoor public places, such as sidewalks
• in designated smoking rooms at hotels, motels and inns
• in a parked or anchored RV or boat that has permanent sleeping and cooking facilities

You can't smoke or vape in enclosed public places, workplaces or indoor common areas of condos and apartment buildings, or on school grounds, playgrounds or publicly owned sports fields (plus 20 metres around them), restaurant and bar patios (plus 9 metres), or in sheltered outdoor spaces such as bus shelters.

Local rules matter too. In Greater Sudbury, city parks, beaches, trails and playgrounds are smoke-free. We cover the details in Where You Can (and Can't) Smoke Cannabis in Sudbury.

Never in a vehicle or boat that's being driven

You can't consume cannabis in any way, whether smoking, vaping or eating, in a car or boat that is being driven or will be driven. That applies to passengers too.

When you're transporting cannabis, keep it in its original sealed packaging, or packed in baggage where nobody in the vehicle can easily reach it. An open bag in the cupholder is exactly what the law is written to prevent.

Driving while impaired is a criminal offence, and Ontario has zero tolerance for several groups of drivers. See Cannabis and Driving in Ontario for who that covers and what the penalties look like.

Growing at home: four plants per residence

Adults can grow cannabis at home in Ontario, within limits:

• Up to four plants per residence, not per person. Two adults sharing a house still share a single limit of four.
• You must be 19 or older, and the cannabis must be for personal use only.
• Seeds or starting plants must be bought from the Ontario Cannabis Store or an authorized retail store.
• Your lease or condo rules can forbid growing, so check them before you plant anything.

Living somewhere with a short summer? Growing Cannabis Outdoors in Northern Ontario walks through what changes up north.

Renters, condos and workplaces

• Leases and condo rules can restrict smoking, vaping and growing in your unit. Smoking and vaping are already banned in indoor common areas.
• At work, consuming cannabis in an enclosed workplace is illegal. Under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers must address hazards, and a worker who can't work safely because of impairment is one.

Crossing the border

Taking cannabis across the Canadian border, in either direction, is illegal, even if you're travelling somewhere it's legal. Leave it at home.

Edibles and other products

Edibles, drinks, extracts and topicals are all legal for adults. A few federal limits are worth knowing:

• An edible package can contain no more than 10 mg of THC.
• Edibles can't contain added alcohol or nicotine.
• Products can't be designed to appeal to young people or make health claims.

Edibles behave very differently from smoking, so read How Long Do Edibles Take to Kick In? before your first one.

The short version

1. Be 19 or older.
2. Carry no more than 30 g dried (or equivalent) in public.
3. Smoke or vape only where tobacco is allowed, and check local bylaws.
4. Never consume in a vehicle or boat that's being driven, and keep cannabis sealed when transporting it.
5. Grow no more than four plants per home, if your lease allows it.
6. Don't take it across the border.