Legal Use of Cannabis in Ontario

Highlights

• In Ontario, the legal age for possessing and purchasing cannabis is 19 years or older.
• The OCS provides safe, responsible access to legal recreational cannabis for adults 19 and older. We are Ontario’s sole wholesaler to more than 1,500 Authorized Cannabis Stores. The OCS also operates OCS.ca, the Province’s online cannabis retailer which delivers to consumers in every corner of Ontario.
• You can buy up to 30 grams of dried cannabis flower (or its equivalent) at a time. 

Legal consumption age

The federal Cannabis Act sets the legal age of cannabis possession in Canada at 18 years but grants the authority for provinces and territories to raise the legal age. In Ontario, the legal age of cannabis possession and consumption is 19 years or older, which aligns with the province’s legal age for alcohol use.

Legal purchase outlets

The OCS provides safe, responsible access to recreational cannabis for adults 19 and older. We are an online retailer and the only wholesaler of legal recreational cannabis in Ontario. Cannabis products can be purchased at a number of privately-owned Authorized Cannabis Stores across the province. Use the OCS store locator to find an Authorized Cannabis Store near you.

Legal medical cannabis purchases must be made through Health Canada licensed sellers. The OCS cannot give medical advice or fill medical prescriptions. Talk to your doctor for details about the medical use of cannabis.

Legal forms of purchasable cannabis

On OCS.ca, you can buy dried cannabis, pre-rolls, vapes, concentrates, cannabis seeds, cannabis oil, extracts, edibles, beverages and topicals. 

Legal allowable quantity

Federal legislation defines a maximum public possession limit of up to 30 grams of dried legal cannabis at any time or its equivalency. As a result, OCS.ca limits any one transaction to a maximum of 30 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent in other forms. This is easy to track as you shop online: The total number of grams you’ve accumulated is displayed as you put items in your bag.

The provincial legislation also maintains the federal legal limit of four plants per private residential dwelling (not per adult).

Legal allowable places for consumption

Under the provincial legislation, recreational cannabis may only be legally consumed in:

• Private residential dwellings (including a front porch, balcony and backyard)
• Many outdoor public places, such as sidewalks and parks
• Designated guest rooms in hotels, motels and inns
• Controlled areas in residential care facilities, psychiatric facilities, veterans’ facilities and residential hospices
• Boats and vehicles when used as a temporary or permanent living space and not in use (excludes boats carrying passengers)

Cannabis cannot be consumed in:

• Enclosed public spaces and all workplaces
• Indoor common areas of condominiums, apartment buildings and university residences
• Schools and school grounds, and within 20 metres of the grounds of a school and community centre
• Restaurant and bar patios, and public areas within nine metres of a patio
• Child-care centres, home child-care centres and where an early years program or service is provided
• Children’s playgrounds
• Outdoor grounds of hospitals and certain Ontario government buildings
• Publicly owned sporting areas (except golf courses)
• Vehicles and boats that are being operated by the user (in the case of all forms of consumption) or under someone’s care or control (in the case of cannabis being smoked or vaped)

Laws governing driving under
the influence of cannabis

Both federal and provincial legislation set out key provisions related to drug-impaired driving offences and procedures. Police are now able to detect suspected drug-impaired driving and enforce strict offences related to drug-impaired driving.