Cannabis in Canada was made legal for both recreational and medicinal purposes on October 17th, 2018. While Cannabis for medicinal purposes has been legal since 2001, the federal Cannabis Act made it legal for Canadians to purchase it for recreational purposes as well.
The minimum age for purchasing cannabis in Canada is 19, but unlike alcohol, children under the age of 19 are banned from entering a cannabis dispensary even if they are accompanied by an adult.
You can legally purchase cannabis all across Canada in physical shops called dispensaries, and online. Below we are going to give you a lowdown by region. Purchasing cannabis is legal in most municipalities, although some forbid it.
Alberta
The legal age for purchasing cannabis in Alberta is 18 and there are 17 dispensaries from which you can purchase.
British Columbia
The legal age remains at 19 and above and you can purchase cannabis from both government and privately-run dispensaries. There are currently more than 100 applications for opening a cannabis dispensary in the state of B.C. and only a few have been approved.
Manitoba
The legal age for purchasing cannabis is 19 and above, and you can purchase through dispensaries and private websites, such as bulkweedinbox.com. So far, there are more than 25 dispensaries but smoking near a provincial park or campsite will get you a fine of up to $700. Homegrown pot is also illegal in Manitoba, with fines going up to $3,000.
New Brunswick
The legal age for purchasing is 19 and above and New Brunswick was the state was the first to open a government cannabis dispensary.
Newfoundland and Labrador
The legal age for purchasing cannabis is 19 and above. Interestingly, the first 24 licensed were obtained by a grocery store chain that especially opens between 12 am and 2 am; and resuming normal operating at 9 am). Newfoundland has the majority of dispensaries while Labrador has only a few. Online purchasing is also legal in the region.
Northwest Territories
The legal age of purchasing is 19 and above, with the main venues for purchasing cannabis being liquor stores and online websites. There are nearly a dozen dispensaries in the Northwest Territories and a few websites.
Nova Scotia
The legal age is 19 and above with more than 15 government-run dispensaries offering more than 78 strains. However, a large part of the Nova Scotia population prefers shopping online for their cannabis needs.
Nunavut
The legal age remains at 19 and above, however, there are only 2 dispensaries that opened recently. You can purchase cannabis online in Nunavut and even import up to 30 grams legally.
Ontario
The legal age is 19 and above, with more than 25 dispensaries now open. It took some time for Ontario to catch up to the rest of Canada, partly due to Ontario’s new government. You can also purchase cannabis online.
Quebec
The legal age for purchasing in Quebec is 18 and above. Quebec is very conservative and they allow purchasing of cannabis only through government-run dispensaries and government-run websites. Homegrown cannabis is banned but prices for strains are some of the lowest in the entire country.
Yukon
Only three dispensaries with a legal age of 19. You can purchase cannabis online as well.
