Cannabis Rules for Workplaces, Tenants and Landlords

Legal cannabis does not give anyone a right to use it wherever they are. Employers, landlords, condo boards and provinces can all say no, and for workplaces and rented homes the rule that applies usually comes from the province plus the lease or workplace policy. This page uses Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia as documented examples, as of 27 October 2026. It is not legal advice, and other provinces may differ.

Can you use cannabis at work?

In Ontario, consuming recreational cannabis in an enclosed workplace remains illegal, and the government says employers must address workplace hazards under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017, holding lighted cannabis counts as smoking, and “you cannot smoke or vape in an enclosed workplace, even when the workplace is closed.” Employers cannot penalize employees who follow those rules; complaints go to the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

British Columbia’s rule is similar in effect: adults may not consume cannabis inside public buildings or workplaces, or within six metres of their air intakes, windows and doorways.

Health Canada’s impairment page explains why safety-focused workplaces care. It says THC can affect coordination, reaction time, attention, decision-making and distance judgment, and can impair the ability to operate equipment. It also says impairment can last for more than 24 hours after use. The page does not address workplace policy, and we did not find a federal page that sets general rules for employers, so we say nothing further about them.

Can a landlord ban smoking or growing cannabis?

The answer depends on the lease. Ontario says tenants may smoke or vape in their private homes unless a lease, agreement or condo bylaw says otherwise. A landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to evict where smoking interferes with other tenants’ enjoyment or seriously impairs safety. Ontario’s cannabis page also says home growing of up to four plants per residence is allowed only if your lease or condo rules do not forbid it.

British Columbia gives the clearest detail:

• A landlord can require a smoke- and vape-free unit, but the ban must be in the tenancy agreement. Without it, tenants may smoke or vape in their units and on balconies.
• Tenants in multi-unit buildings may not smoke or vape within 6 metres of openings connected to common areas.
• Agreements signed before 17 October 2018 are considered to include a term prohibiting growing cannabis in or around the rental unit, unless the tenant can grow medical cannabis under federal law or the agreement allows it.
• Tenants are financially responsible for smoke damage and can be evicted for smoking in a non-smoking building.

What changes when a landlord adds a cannabis rule?

Nova Scotia spells out the process. A landlord who wants to add a smoking or growing rule to an existing lease must give written notice at least 4 months before the anniversary date of the tenancy. After notice, the tenant can decide whether to end the tenancy using the Tenant’s Notice to Quit. For a new lease no notice is needed, but the landlord must give the tenant a copy of the rules before signing. A landlord may allow tobacco smoking but not cannabis, provided the rules say so specifically. Nova Scotia’s Smoke-free Places Act also covers cannabis, including medical use, in common areas of multi-unit residential buildings.

For the health side of smoke drifting between units, see second-hand cannabis smoke. Growing limits by province are on the travel, driving and growing page, and the full comparison is on the province-by-province page.