Cottage Season Around Sudbury: The Cannabis Rules

Summer around Sudbury means camp: Ramsey, Panache, Penage, Wanapitei, Nepewassi and hundreds of smaller lakes. If cannabis is part of the weekend, a few rules apply on the dock, on the water and in the parks. Here's what to know before you pack.

At your own camp

Your own cottage or camp is treated like any private residence. You can generally smoke or vape cannabis on the property, including the dock, unless:

• it's a rental and the owner doesn't allow it
• the property is also a workplace
• there's a fire ban in effect. Respect it for smoking materials as well as campfires.

On the water

This is the rule people forget most.

• You can't consume cannabis in any way in a boat that's being operated or will be operated: no smoking, no vaping, no edibles. That applies to everyone on board.
• Ontario Parks treats canoes, kayaks and paddleboards the same way within its parks.
• Operating a boat while impaired is treated like impaired driving, with the same serious consequences.
• An anchored boat with permanent sleeping and cooking facilities is treated more like a residence.

Cold water, sun and alcohol already make boating risky. Adding cannabis makes it more so.

Getting there

• Transport cannabis sealed, in its original packaging or packed away in your bags, not within reach in the cab. See Cannabis and Driving in Ontario.
• Don't consume in the car or truck, even as a passenger.
• Remember the 30 g public possession limit for what you're carrying. Drinks add up quickly at 70 g of liquid per 1 g of dried cannabis. See Ontario's 30-Gram Limit.
• Heading across the border to Michigan? Taking cannabis across the border is illegal. Leave it behind.

Provincial parks

Ontario Parks follows the provincial rules, with a few specifics:

• Smoking or vaping cannabis is allowed on your registered campsite.
• It's not allowed in enclosed areas (including washrooms), sheltered areas, near playgrounds and designated swimming areas (20 metres), or in any vehicle or boat that's moving or under someone's care.
• In parks within Ontario's fire region, smoking while walking through forest is restricted from April through October.

Federal parks run by Parks Canada have their own rules, generally limiting use to your individual campsite.

Edibles at camp

Edibles are popular at camp because there's no smoke, but:

• They take up to 2 hours to start working and 4 to peak. Don't take more while you wait. See How Long Do Edibles Take to Kick In?.
• No boating, swimming alone or driving after taking one.
• Kids at camp: gummies and chocolate look like snacks. Keep edibles locked and in child-resistant packaging, away from the cooler and the snack bin.

Practical packing list

• A small lockbox for cannabis and edibles
• Products in their original packaging
• A plan for who's driving and boating, and who isn't using cannabis
• The Ontario Poison Centre number saved in your phone: 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669)

For the full picture of where you can consume in the city itself, see Where You Can (and Can't) Smoke Cannabis in Sudbury.