Canada has legalized the sale of cannabis within the country, but that does not mean you can bring some with you across the border. The only way it is legal to bring pot into Canada is with an importation permit. That is not easy to obtain, and it is not meant for items you will consume personally. Signs are posted at major ports of entry to remind people that the unauthorized importation of pot remains illegal and can have serious consequences.
It does not matter:
- How much you have
- Whether you have a medical document authorizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes
- Whether you are travelling from an area with legalized or decriminalized cannabis
- What form of cannabis you have (oils containing THC or CBD are included)
Simply put: do not try to bring Cannabis into Canada. Read our page on Cannabis at the U.S. Canada Border for detailed advice on how to handle your border inspection.
Don’t bring it in. Don’t take it out.
You may not take cannabis out of the country either. You can be charged with criminal offenses if you attempt to travel to other countries with any amount of cannabis in your possession. Only Health Canada has the authority to issue permits or grant exemptions to import or export cannabis. They do so under very limited circumstances and for limited purposes: medical, scientific or industrial hemp.
You may buy Cannabis legally from a store or supplier with a government license. The maximum amount an individual can publicly possess is 30 grams of dried cannabis. However, because cannabis comes in several forms, the Canadian government has established a conversion method and an online cannabis calculator which will tell you how much of any type of cannabis you may carry in the country.
In Canada, each province and territory sets the minimum age for cannabis use. The minimum age ranges from 18 to 21 depending on which province you are in. It remains prohibited for underage individuals to obtain cannabis — or for adults to obtain it for them.