Know the Laws

 

Even though cannabis is legal, there are still rules that need to be followed for your safety, and to protect you from penalties such as fines or jail time. Know the laws so you can follow them and protect yourself and others from harm.

Adults who are 19 years or older (in Ontario) can:

  • Buy cannabis products from a licensed retailer
  • Share up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent with other adults
    • Giving or selling cannabis to a person under 19 is a criminal offense with penalties of up to 14 years in a jail.

Adults who are 19 years or older (in Ontario) can:

  • Possess up to 30 grams of legal dried cannabis, or its equivalent*, in public
    • Possession over the limit is a criminal offense. Penalties range from tickets for small amounts to up to 5 years in jail.

*Dried cannabis equivalents:

  • One (1) gram of dried cannabis is equal to:
    • 5 grams of fresh cannabis
    • 15 grams of solid edible product
    • 70 grams of liquid product, other than cannabis beverages
    • 570 grams of cannabis beverages
    • 0.25 grams of concentrates (solid or liquid)
    • 1 cannabis plant seed
  • This means, for example, that an adult 19 years of age or older, can legally possess 450 grams of an edible cannabis product.

You cannot smoke or vape cannabis, both medical or non-medical, anywhere tobacco use is prohibited, as well as some additional places:

  • Vehicles and boats being driven or under someone’s care or control
  • Enclosed public places, enclosed workplaces and other sheltered areas with a roof and more than two walls (such as bus shelters)
  • Indoor common areas in condominiums, apartment buildings and university/college residences
  • Restaurant and bar patios and public areas within nine metres of a patio
  • Publicly-owned sporting areas, spectator areas, community recreation centres and public areas within 20 metres of those grounds
  • Reserved seating areas of outdoor sports or entertainment venues
  • Schools and school grounds, and public areas within 20 metres of those grounds
  • Children’s playgrounds and public areas within 20 metres of playgrounds
  • Child care centres, and places where an early years program is provided
  • Places where home child care is provided, regardless of whether children are present
  • Nine metres from the entrance or exit of a public hospital, private hospital, psychiatric facility, long-term care home and independent health facility
  • Outdoor grounds of public hospitals, private hospitals, psychiatric facilities and specified Ontario government buildings.

In addition, municipalities in Windsor-Essex County have smoke-free by-laws which have additional prohibitions on the use of tobacco and non-tobacco products (such as cannabis) and vape products. See Smoke-Free Spaces for a description of your local smoke-free by-law.

Call the WECHU Tobacco and Vaping Enforcement Officers at 519-258-2146 ext. 3100

Call 311, if within the City of Windsor or your local police department

Cannabis edibles, extracts, and topicals are legal in Canada for those 19 and older, and will soon be available in Ontario through licensed retailers. If you are thinking about using these products, there are things you need to know to lower the risk of harm and to stay within the legal rules for possession, purchase, and use.

Learn more.

Yes. Police can legally request a driver to undergo a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, oral saliva test, or a blood test to confirm impairment and/or presence of drugs over the legal limit (illegal, prescription, or over-the-counter medications). If you are found impaired to drive, you will be subject to serious penalties ranging from fines and immediate license suspensions, to criminal charges and jail time.

For a full description of Ontario’s new laws for drug-impaired driving, including zero tolerance for young, novice and commercial drivers, and associated penalties, visit the Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Drivers age 21 or under, novice drivers (drivers who have a G1, G2, M1, M2, M2-L or M2-M licence), and commercial drivers are prohibited from having any cannabis or other drugs in their system and face penalties and potential criminal charges. That means that Ontario has a zero tolerance approach to both alcohol and drugs for these drivers.

If a police officer is satisfied that you are legally authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes, you will not be subject to Ontario’s zero tolerance drug requirements for young, novice and commercial drivers. However, you can still face penalties and/or criminal charges if a police officer finds that your ability to drive is impaired. Even if you have been authorized to use cannabis or another drug by a health care professional, it is your responsibility to ensure you are not impaired while driving

For a full description of Ontario’s new laws for drug-impaired driving and penalties, visit the Ontario Ministry of Transportation

No. It is illegal to bring cannabis into the United States or into Canada. Taking cannabis or any product containing cannabis (medical or non-medical) across the Canadian border is illegal and can result in serious criminal penalties both at home and abroad.

If you do have cannabis or products containing cannabis with you when you enter Canada, you must declare them to the Canada Border Services Agency. If you do not declare these products, you could face an arrest and criminal charges. Learn more Travel.gc.ca/cannabis