On October 17th, 2018, recreational cannabis will be legal in Canada for adults who are 18 or 19 years of age (depending on your province) to purchase, possess and consume cannabis. Individuals can either purchase cannabis through government-regulated websites or by entering a physical retail location. Provinces (excluding Manitoba, Nunavut, Quebec) will also permit adults who meet the specified age of majority requirements to cultivate cannabis for personal use. 

Cannabis products must be sold in plain child-resistant packaging consisting of one colour and warning labels and can be purchased as an oil, seed or fresh/dry cannabis. Cannabis edibles will not be sold until 2019 at the earliest, however consumers will be permitted to create their own food products.

The sale of cannabis will be handled slightly differently in each province and territory resulting in a mix of private, licensed and government-run retail outlets across the country. All retail stores will be built with a safe amount of distance from schools, daycares and places where minors frequent. Below is a breakdown by province of where you can buy cannabis safely when it’s legal.