Cannabis rules in Ontario
In Ontario you must be 19 to buy, carry, use or grow cannabis, and you can carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis (or the equivalent) in public. You can smoke or vape it in most places where tobacco smoking is allowed, including many sidewalks and parks, and each home can grow up to four plants. Stores are privately owned and licensed by the AGCO, and the only legal online store run by the province is the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS.ca).
How old do you have to be, and how much can you carry?
The legal age in Ontario is 19, the same as for alcohol and tobacco, and it applies to buying, using, carrying and growing. In public you can have up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or the equivalent in other forms. Under federal rules, 1 gram of dried flower equals 5 g of fresh cannabis, 15 g of solid edible product, 70 g of liquid product such as a tincture, 570 g of cannabis beverage or 0.25 g of concentrate. Our weed measurements guide has the full table.
Stores can sell you up to 30 grams of dried cannabis (or equivalent) at one time, and staff must check ID for anyone who looks under 25. Nobody under 19 can go inside a cannabis store. If you want to compare what you're buying, our guide to reading cannabis labels explains the numbers on the package.
Where can you smoke or vape cannabis in Ontario?
Ontario treats cannabis smoke much like tobacco smoke. You can generally smoke or vape in a private home (unless a lease or condo rule says otherwise), on many sidewalks and in many parks, in designated smoking rooms in hotels, and in a parked RV or a moored boat that has permanent sleeping and cooking facilities and is being used as a home.
The no-go list is long, and several spots come with a buffer zone around them. Fines start at up to $1,000 for a first offence and rise to up to $5,000 after that. Cities and landlords can add their own rules on top of the provincial ones.
| Place | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Private home (if your lease or condo rules allow) | Allowed |
| Many sidewalks and parks | Allowed |
| Designated smoking rooms in hotels | Allowed |
| Restaurant and bar patios, and within 9 m of them | Not allowed |
| School grounds and playgrounds, and within 20 m | Not allowed |
| Public sports fields and spectator areas, and within 20 m | Not allowed |
| Within 9 m of hospital entrances and exits | Not allowed |
| Bus shelters and other covered outdoor areas | Not allowed |
| Indoor common areas of condos and apartment buildings | Not allowed |
| Any vehicle or boat that is being driven or will be driven | Not allowed, by anyone, in any form |
Can you grow cannabis at home in Ontario?
Yes. Adults 19 and older can grow up to four plants per residence, not per person, so a house with three adults still has a limit of four. It has to be for personal use, and your seeds or seedlings must come from the Ontario Cannabis Store or an authorized store. If you rent or live in a condo, check your lease or the condo rules first, because they can forbid growing.
How do cannabis stores work in Ontario?
Ontario's stores are privately owned. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) licenses and inspects them, and the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), a provincial agency, is their only wholesaler. The OCS counted 1,780 authorized stores across the province at the end of 2025. Stores may open between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., and each one sets its own hours within that window. You can browse licensed shops on our Ontario dispensaries page.
Licensed stores can also sell online, offer curbside pickup and deliver, but only with their own staff: third-party delivery apps aren't allowed. Every delivery is capped at the same 30 gram limit. The province's own online store, OCS.ca, sells to adults anywhere in Ontario and is aimed at filling gaps where there's no local store.
What are the rules for driving and carrying cannabis in a car?
Cannabis in a vehicle has to be either in its original, unopened packaging or packed in baggage that nobody in the vehicle can easily reach, such as the trunk. Nobody, driver or passenger, may use cannabis in any form in a vehicle or boat that is being driven or about to be driven.
Ontario has zero tolerance for drivers 21 and under, drivers with a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence, and commercial drivers: they can't have any detectable cannabis in their system. For everyone else, drug-impaired driving brings an immediate licence suspension, fines and possible vehicle impoundment, on top of federal Criminal Code charges that can mean a criminal record and jail.
What should visitors to Ontario know?
Bring government photo ID, because you'll be asked for it if you look under 25, and remember the age here is 19 even if your home province allows 18. The 30 gram public limit applies to you as it does to residents.
Federal rules let you fly within Canada with up to 30 grams, but rules on where you can use cannabis differ from province to province, so check the local rules wherever you land. Never take cannabis across the Canada-U.S. border or any international border, in any amount or form, even to a U.S. state where it's legal. Doing so is a serious criminal offence. This is general information; the law is what counts.