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Cannabis Resource Centre
Supporting Ontario’s physicians on key topics related to recreational and medical cannabis.
Managing Your Practice
Cannabis Resource Centre
Supporting Ontario’s physicians on key topics related to recreational and medical cannabis.

As of October 17, 2018, recreational cannabis use is legal in Canada under the Cannabis Act. The Act outlines a framework for federal control over the production, distribution, sale, and possession of both medical and recreational cannabis.

The legal framework for access to medical cannabis, under which physicians can sign medical documents authorizing access (i.e. prescribe) for patients, was previously outlined in the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR),1 under the Controlled Substances Act. 2 This legal framework remains the same after the legalization of recreational cannabis use, however it is now outlined in the new Cannabis Regulations3 under the Cannabis Act. 4

For recreational cannabis, the federal government has set the legal age to buy and consume cannabis at 18, but each province and territory has established its own legal framework around the sale, consumption, and possession of cannabis, much like they have done for alcohol and tobacco.5

  • Ontario Cannabis Laws

     

    Minimum age to buy, sell, and consume cannabis:6

    • 19

    Possession limits for individuals:6

    • 30 grams (approximately one ounce) in public
    • Four plants per residence

    Limitations on location of usage:6

    • Cannabis consumption is permitted almost anywhere that tobacco smoking is allowed, including private residences and most outdoor public spaces.
    • Cannabis consumption is not permitted in vehicles or boats (with the exception of parked or anchored residential vehicles/boats).

    Legal forms of cannabis: 6,8,9

    • Legal as of October 2018:
      • Fresh and dried cannabis
      • cannabis oil
      • cannabis plant seeds, and cannabis plants for recreational use
    • Legal as of October 2019 (but not available for purchase until mid-December 2019):
      • edible cannabis products
      • cannabis extracts
      • cannabis topical products

    Retail framework: 10

    • Cannabis is available for sale online through the Ontario Cannabis Store, and in bricks-and-mortar stores licenced by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation is the exclusive wholesaler for all legal cannabis products in Ontario.
    • Municipalities had a one-time opportunity to opt-out of allowing cannabis stores in their communities. The status of each municipality in Ontario is searchable on the AGCO website.
    • In April 2019, the AGCO licenced 25 cannabis retail stores in Ontario. It is currently in the process of licensing 50 additional private cannabis retail stores, including 8 stores located on First Nations reserves.

    Restrictions on packaging and composition:3,9

    • All cannabis products must be sold in plain packaging with a standardized cannabis symbol, health warning statements, THC and CBD quantity or concentration, and child resistant packaging.
    • Edible cannabis products and ingestible cannabis extracts cannot contain more than 10 mg of THC per package.
    • Topical cannabis products and inhalable cannabis extracts cannot contain more than 1000 mg of THC per package.
    • Cannabis products cannot contain added vitamins or minerals, nicotine, alcohol, or caffeine.
    • A complete summary of the final regulations for edible cannabis, cannabis extracts, and cannabis topicals is available on the Health Canada website.

    Access to medical cannabis1

    • Health Canada has maintained its distinct framework for access to cannabis for medical purposes even after the legalization of recreational use.

Resources for Members

Leading up to legalization, the OMA surveyed members on topics related to both medical and recreational cannabis to identify the areas where Ontario’s physicians feel they require the most support. The resources in this library have been created or sourced according to the key areas of concern identified by members in the survey.

Professional Responsibilities

A summary of cannabis-related guidance from the CPSO, CMPA and the OMA Legal and Economics departments.

Cannabis and Driving

Information to help you understand the new laws around cannabis-impaired driving, discuss the risks with patients, and understand your responsibilities.

Medical Cannabis

A collection of multimedia learning resources exploring topics from cannabinoid basics to current clinical evidence for use and special risk populations.

Recreational Cannabis

Tools to help inform and guide your conversations with patients about recreational cannabis.


References

1Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, SOR/2016-230.

2Controlled Substances Act, 1996, S.C.1996, c. 19.

3Cannabis Regulations, SOR/2018-144.

4Cannabis Act, 2018, SC. 2018, c 16.

5 Government of Canada. Cannabis in Canada . Ottawa, ON: 2018. [cited Sep 20 2018].

6 Bill 174, Cannabis, Smoke-Free Ontario and Road Safety Statute Law Amendment Act, 2nd Sess, 41st Leg, Ontario, 2017

7 Government of Ontario. Cannabis Legalization [Internet]. Toronto, ON: 2018. [cited Sep 20 2018].

9Government of Canada. Final Regulations: Edible Cannabis, Cannabis Extracts, Cannabis Topicals. Ottawa, ON: 2019 [Cited June 26 2019].

10Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Expression of Interest in Lottery Rules [Internet]. Toronto, ON: 2018 [cited Mar 14 2019].


Updated: October 15, 2019

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