Where can you smoke weed in Canada when it is legalized

As we all anticipate for federal legalization in Canada, many Canadians are wondering where and when we can smoke weed  publicly, or if public consumption of marijuana will even be allowed. I’ll just cut to the chase, and start listing what we know and what is yet to be determined by the Canadian Federal and Provincial governments.  

What we know

Under the federal proposal, adults would be allowed to have up to 30 grams of dried legal cannabis. While people under 18 could have up to five grams. But again, in Ontario, the province’s plan will prohibit anyone under 19 from possessing or consuming recreational cannabis, allowing police to confiscate small amounts despite the federal framework. Generally speaking, it is most likely all provinces will follow suite with minors not being able to consume or posses marijuana at all. Consuming weed will only be allowed in one place: Private residences. You can smoke in the privacy of your home and your back-yard. The Cannabis Act (2018) has given provinces the power to determine the method of distribution and sale and whether cannabis use will be legal inside private residence or homes if children are present in the home 12 or more hours in a day, and each will also establish the legal age for cannabis use. In addition, landlords and strata councils will be able to restrict or prohibit non-medical cannabis smoking and vaping at tenanted and strata properties. Therefore; if you are renting your landlord may permit you not to smoke or grow marijuana for personal use. The plan will prohibit cannabis use in public spaces, cars and workplaces, which means you won’t be able to smoke in a park, on a patio, or at your desk. But what about the most epic place to hot box……. your car. NOPE don’t even think about it; while driving, all types of marijuana will have to be in a sealed package or inaccessible to the vehicle’s occupants. People will not be allowed to use marijuana in any vehicle. Sorry, we wouldn’t recommend you to blaze in your back alley in your car either. Canadian law will mandate harsh punishments for driving under the influence of marijuana. One of the penalties is having your vehicle impounded. Drivers convicted of driving while high would have to pay to reinstate their licenses on top of major fines up to $2000. Penalties will be especially tough for anyone under 21. (These laws differentiate provincially) Anyone under the age of 19 will not be able to possess any amount of non-medical cannabis. Essentially treat weed like alcohol or tabacco if you feel like its inappropriate it probably is.  

What we don’t know

Some provinces are looking into designated areas on university and college campuses, specific parks, or event entertainment areas but again there is allot of back and fourth of by-laws; what category would marijuana fit into smoking tobacco or alcohol. You wouldn’t be able to buy alcohol at a Provincial Liquor Distribution Branches and walk outside 9 meters and open it and drink it. Would this fall in line with dispensaries? This is yet to be determined in many provinces. Provincial governments across Canada have yet to decide if Canadians should be able to smoke in designated smoking areas. Its basically a heavy grey area that can be debated both ways. Ideally majority of the opposition states, such parks or public places that will allow public marijuana usage will attract large crowds even minors. Some argue it creates a ‘party environment’ in what usually would be a quite Canadian neighborhoods. Though marijuana will be legal on the federal level, there are some serious restrictions on where you can consume marijuana. You can’t toke up publicly in many provinces, or even in private apartments in some places. Some provinces let you grow your own weed; others don’t. Some provincial governments sell all cannabis products, others sell some and the rest leave it to the private sector. And some marijuana laws in Canada aren’t fully flushed out, specifically in the less populated parts of the country.  

Here is a list of each province laws so far, to be noted these laws can change at anytime.

BRITISH COLUMBIA Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Both government and privately-run storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, out of public sight Where to smoke?: Prohibited in cars, in areas frequented by children, and wherever tobacco is restricted Other notes: Landlords can restrict cultivation and smoking on their properties B.C. marijuana legalization laws   ALBERTA Age of legal consumption: 18+ Where to buy: Privately-run retail stores and government-operated online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, subject to restrictions from landlords Where to smoke?: Prohibited in cars, in areas frequented by children, and wherever tobacco is restricted. Other notes: Kids are banned from entering cannabis stores, even with adult accompaniment  Alberta marijuana legalization laws   SASKATCHEWAN Age of legal consumption:19+ Where to buy: Privately-run storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, subject to landlord restrictions Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences, restricted use around minors Other notes: Number of retail licenses issued will be restricted for first three years of legalization Saskatchewan marijuana legalization laws   MANITOBA Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Privately-run storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Not permitted Where to smoke?: Only in private residences Other notes: Legal age is one year above drinking age. It’s prohibited to sell cannabis to someone who is impaired by alcohol or other substances. Municipalities can hold a referendum to ban cannabis stores in their community. Manitoba marijuana legalization laws   ONTARIO Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Online sales initially and then private retail shops by April 2019 Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only on private property, subject to landlord restrictions Other notes: Municipalities will have a “one time window” during which they will be able to opt-out of having cannabis stores within their boundaries Ontario marijuana legalization laws   QUEBEC Age of legal consumption: 18+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Not permitted Where to smoke?: Only where tobacco may be smoked, with the exception of university and CEGEP campuses Other notes: Six companies signed on to provide the Quebec government with at least 62,000 kg of cannabis during first year of operation Quebec marijuana legalization laws   NOVA SCOTIA Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only where tobacco may be smoked, subject to landlord restrictions Other notes: 9 cannabis stores currently confirmed in: Amherst, Dartmouth, Halifax, Lower Sackville, New Glasgow, Sydney River, Truro and Yarmouth Nova Scotia marijuana legalization laws    NEW BRUNSWICK Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences Other notes: 20 cannabis stores will open in July 2018. All cannabis grown outdoors must be located behind a locked enclosure that is 1.52 metres high. Landlords can restrict cultivation and smoking on their properties. New Brunswick marijuana legalization laws   NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Privately-run licensed storefronts and government-operated online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences Other notes: Some shops will be run by Tweed, a subsidiary of cannabis giant Canopy Growth.  N.L. marijuana legalization laws    PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated retail locations and online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants, so long as they’re not accessible to minors Where to smoke?: Only on private residences, with some exceptions for certain public spaces Other notes: PEI will have four government-owned retail locations for cannabis in 2018 in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague, and West Prince P.E.I. marijuana legalization laws   NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Privately-run liquor stores and government-operated online sales Grow your own?: Up to four plants Where to smoke?: On private property and in private residences. Smoking will also be allowed on trails, highways, streets, roads and in parks when they are not in use for public events. Other notes: Cannabis will initially be sold in existing liquor stores, with possibility of cannabis-only stores in the future. Individual communities will be able to enact cannabis restrictions and/or prohibitions. Landlords will also be able to declare their properties smoke-free. N.W.T. marijuana legalization laws   NUNAVUT Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Established online vendors will be invited to sell in Nunavut, and private businesses can apply for a licence to sell cannabis, but consultation requirements mean no stores will open in 2018. Grow your own?: Not banned, but the provincial government will regulate whether or not plants can be grown at home in the future Where to smoke?: Not permitted in public places, other than a designated cannabis lounge or permitted event Other notes: The offical Inuktitut name for cannabis is “surrarnaqtuq” Nunavut marijuana legalization law   YUKON Age of legal consumption: 19+ Where to buy: Government-operated storefronts and online sales. Grow your own?: Up to four plants, out of public sight Where to smoke?: Only on private property and in private residences, subject to landlord restrictions Other notes: Whitehorse recently amended zoning bylaws to allow government-operated cannabis sales in only one area: Marwell. Licensing of private retailers will follow in the future Yukon marijuana legalization laws   All in all, we have allot of unanswered questions, but the road to legalization of marijuana in Canada has been a long time coming. Lets celebrate this milestone safely and cautiously, with these strict restrictions, it is likely a lot of people will be breaking marijuana laws in Canada.