The Cannabis ‘Cheat Sheet’: What is legal and where

Recreational cannabis became legal across Canada on October 17^th, 2018. While many rules are still in development, we thought it would be helpful to provide you with a snapshot view for each province and territory as they currently stand. RCC will continue to engage with provincial and territorial governments across the country as they refine regulations post-legalization, and will ultimately develop a guidebook on cannabis.

Note that there is further regulation required from the federal government on edibles, which is expected in 2019. Until this time, edible marijuana products are not legalized. Once regulation on edibles is available, provinces will have the opportunity to pass their own legislation on edibles to complement federal rules. The federal government has indicated that edible products and concentrates will be authorized no later than October 2019, one year after the Cannabis Act comes into force.

Medical marijuana production, sale and use will continue to be regulated solely by the federal government; recreational legalization will not impact current laws for medical marijuana, but may impact unlicensed dispensaries, that will either be forced to shut down or required to go through a licensing process as recreational marijuana distributors.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact: Karl Littler, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs at: klittler@retailcouncil.org or 416-906-0040.