It has been federally legal to grow recreational cannabis in Canada since October 17, 2018. However, it is still considered a controlled substance and there are federal and provincial laws you must abide by; let’s break those down.

Federal Law

View the federal Cannabis Act.

Here are some things the act says you can’t do:

Don’t possess, or (even offer to) cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 18; [1]

Don’t possess any cannabis (including seeds) that you know originated from an illicit source; [2][3]

Don’t possess, produce, sell, distribute or import anything with the intention that it will be used to produce, sell or distribute illicit cannabis; [4]

Don’t possess, in a public place, more than four cannabis plants that are in the vegetative stage; [5]

Don’t possess, in a public place, any cannabis plants that are in the flowering stage; [6]

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest more than four cannabis plants in the same dwelling/house; [7][8]

Don’t (even offer to) cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis at a place that is not your dwelling/house; [9]

Don’t (possess with the intent to) sell cannabis. [10][11]

Provincial Laws

Each province and territory has its own laws for recreational cannabis. Some of the laws govern things such as; how you can grow, where you can grow, at what age you can grow, or even conflict the federal law that states you have the right to grow at all.

You must respect the laws of the province, territory or Indigenous community you are in, whether you are a visitor or live there.

Alberta

View Alberta’s Act To Control and Regulate Cannabis. This bill does not apply any additional restrictions to growing cannabis, rather it defers to the federal regulations above.[12]

British Columbia

View British Columbia’s Cannabis Control And Licensing Act and Cannabis Control Regulations. There are additional rules related to growing cannabis, such as:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19; [13]

Don’t cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis on two or more of your dwellings/homes at the same time; [14]

Don’t cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis at your dwelling/home if the dwelling/home is used for child care; [15]

Don’t cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis in a location where it is visible from public space; [16]

Don’t store or otherwise possess more than 1 kilogram of dried cannabis at your dwelling/home. [17][18]

Manitoba

View Manitoba’s Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act. There are two major changes in this legislation that differ from federal laws:

Don’t possess cannabis if you are under the age of 19; [19]

Don’t cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis. [20]

New Brunswick

View New Brunswick’s Cannabis Control Act. There are additional rules related to growing cannabis, such as:

Don’t possess, (or even offer to) cultivate, propagate, or harvest cannabis if you are under 19 years of age; [21]

Don’t store cannabis in a private dwelling unless the cannabis is stored in a secure space that is inaccessible to a person who is under 19 years of age; [22]

Don’t cultivate cannabis outdoors unless the plants are surrounded by a locked enclosure having a height of at least 1.52 m; [23]

Don’t cultivate cannabis indoors unless the plants are located in a separate locked space. [24]

Newfoundland and Labrador

View Newfoundland and Labrador’s Cannabis Control Regulations. There are some additional laws that you need to be aware of:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19; [25]

Don’t cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis on two or more of your dwellings/homes at the same time; [26] [27]

Don’t cultivate a cannabis plant unless you take reasonable measures to ensure that the cannabis plant is not accessible to a person who is under 19 years of age; [28]

Don’t cultivate a cannabis plant where it is visible from a public place. [29]

Northwest Territories

View Northwest Territories’s Cannabis Legalization And Regulation Implementation Act (PDF file). The only additional cultivation related law for this territory is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [30]

Nova Scotia

View Nova Scotia’s Cannabis Control Act. The only additional cultivation related law for this province is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [31][32]

Nunavut

View Nunavut’s Cannabis Act (PDF file). The only additional cultivation related law for this province is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [33]

Ontario

View Ontario’s Cannabis Control Act. The only additional cultivation related law for this province is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [34]

Prince Edward Island

View Prince Edward Island’s Cannabis Control Act (PDF file). The only additional cultivation related law for this province is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [35]

Quebec

View Quebec’s Cannabis Regulation Act (PDF file). There are two major changes in this legislation that differ from federal laws:

Don’t cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis; [36]

Don’t store or otherwise possess more than 150 grams of dried cannabis at your dwelling/home. [37]

Saskatchewan

View Saskatchewan’s Cannabis Control Act (PDF file). The only additional cultivation related law for this province is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [38]

Yukon

View Yukon’s Cannabis Control And Regulation Act (PDF file). The only additional cultivation related law for this province is:

Don’t possess, cultivate, propagate or harvest cannabis if you are under the age of 19. [39]

Municipal Laws

Municipalities may also pass bylaws to regulate the use of cannabis locally. Be sure to check your municipality’s website for local information.

Legal Notice

Please be aware that this page was not written by a lawyer. In no way should this information be interpreted as legal advice. Please follow sources and independently verify all claims made.

Sources

[1] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 12 (7)

[2] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 8 (1) (b)

[3] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 12 (4) (a)

[4] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 13 (1)

[5] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 8 (1) (e)

[6] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 8 (1) (d)

[7] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 12 (4) (b)

[8] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 12 (5)

[9] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 12 (6) (a)

[10] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 10 (1)

[11] Cannabis Act, Part 1, Division 1, Section 10 (2)

[12] An Act to Control and Regulate Cannabis, Page 12, Section 90.27

[13] Cannabis Control And Licensing Act, Part 5, Division 4, Section 73 (1)

[14] Cannabis Control And Licensing Act, Part 5, Division 2, Section 56 (d)

[15] Cannabis Control And Licensing Act, Part 5, Division 2, Section 56 (b) (i)

[16] Cannabis Control And Licensing Act, Part 5, Division 2, Section 56 (g)

[17] Cannabis Control And Licensing Act, Part 5, Division 1, Section 54 (1)

[18] Cannabis Control Regulation, Part 2, Section 9 (2)

[19] Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act, Part 4.1, Division 4, Section 01.17

[20] Safe and Responsible Retailing of Cannabis Act, Part 4.1, Division 4, Section 101.15

[21] Cannabis Control Act, Section 11

[22] Cannabis Control Act, Section 12 (a)

[23] Cannabis Control Act, Section 16 (1) (b) (i)

[24] Cannabis Control Act, Section 16 (1) (b) (ii)

[25] Cannabis Control Regulations, Section 7 (1)

[26] Cannabis Control Regulations, Section 7 (4)

[27] Cannabis Control Regulations, Section 7 (5) (a)

[28] Cannabis Control Regulations, Section 7 (6)

[29] Cannabis Control Regulations, Section 7 (7)

[30] Cannabis Legalization And Regulation Implementation Act, Part 2, Section 5 (2)

[31] Cannabis Control Act, Section 3 (n)

[32] Cannabis Control Act, Part II, Section 16 (2)

[33] Cannabis Act, Section 31

[34] Cannabis Control Act, Section 7 (1)

[35] Cannabis Control Act, Part III, Section 20

[36] Cannabis Regulation Act, Chapter III, Section 10

[37] Cannabis Regulation Act, Chapter II, Section 7

[38] Cannabis Control Act, Part II, Division 1, Section 2-1 (1)

[39] Cannabis Control And Regulation Act, Section 54 (2)