Cannabis in Canada: A Guide to the Law and Official Facts

Cannabis has been legal for adults in Canada since 17 October 2018. The federal Cannabis Act lets an adult carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis (or its equivalent) in public and grow up to four plants per residence, and the provinces and territories fill in the rest: the minimum age, who may sell, and where it can be used. Information here is current as of 31 October 2026 and covers adults only.

Start here: the law

Begin with the federal rules, then move to your province.

• The Cannabis Act explained sets out what the Act allows, what it forbids and the penalties.
• When cannabis became legal lists the court decisions, regulations and dates from 1999 to 2019.
• Cannabis laws by province and territory compares age, public use and home growing across the country.
• Age and possession limits by province gives a quick lookup table.

The minimum age is the clearest example of why the province matters: it is 18 in Alberta, 21 in Quebec and 19 elsewhere.

Products and buying

• Hash, shatter and concentrates explains the federal limits on extracts, edibles and topicals.
• Finding a licensed store explains how legal retail works and lists the official regulator for each province and territory. Some provinces run government stores, some license private shops and some use both.
• Myths and facts checks common claims against Health Canada material.

Health and daily life

• Medical cannabis and neurology describes how patients get access and what Health Canada says about the evidence.
• Second-hand cannabis smoke covers what Health Canada says about smoke and vapour around others.
• Cannabis at work and in rental housing looks at landlord and workplace rules.
• Travel, driving and growing covers borders, the Criminal Code limits and home cultivation. The Government of Canada says it is illegal to take cannabis across the border, even to places where it is legal.
• Cannabis, marijuana, hemp and their history explains the terms and the documented history.
• Cannabis rules for visitors is written for people arriving from abroad.

Adults who are not sure where to start can follow a simple order. Read the Act page for the federal baseline, check the province table for your age and possession limits, then open the page on the topic that applies to you, such as renting, working or travelling.

Where rules differ

Provinces and territories set the minimum age, the retail model and where cannabis can be used, so the same act can be legal in one place and fined in another. Provincial rules change, so confirm with the province’s own page before you rely on a detail.

A note on scope

These pages describe the law and official health information. They do not recommend products or encourage use, and they are not legal advice.