Cannabis in London
London has no cannabis rules of its own beyond Ontario's: its outdoor smoking bylaw covers tobacco only, so cannabis follows the province, which allows smoking wherever tobacco smoking is allowed. The local exceptions that matter are the two big campuses, Western and Fanshawe, which ban smoking and vaping cannabis on their property.
Where can you smoke cannabis in London?
Under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act you can smoke or vape cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is allowed, which rules out indoor public places, patios and the 20 metres around playgrounds and public sports areas (see the Ontario rules). London's own Smoking Near Recreation Amenities and Entrances By-law sets a 9-metre buffer around park amenities and city building entrances, but its wording covers tobacco only, so for cannabis the provincial rules are what apply.
Western University went fully smoke-free on July 1, 2019, covering cigarettes, cannabis and vaping, so smokers have to step onto city sidewalks. Fanshawe College banned smoking tobacco or cannabis, vaping and edibles on all its property from November 1, 2018, with accommodation for medical users. Landlords and condo boards can also set their own rules.
| Place | Smoking or vaping cannabis |
|---|---|
| Sidewalks and parks away from playgrounds and sports areas | Allowed under provincial law |
| Within 20 m of a playground or public sports area | Banned by the province |
| Restaurant and bar patios | Banned by the province |
| Western University main campus | Banned by university policy since 2019 |
| Fanshawe College property | Banned by college policy since 2018, edibles included |
Did London choose to allow cannabis stores?
Yes. Ontario let each municipality opt out of private stores by January 22, 2019, knowing that a city that opted in could never opt out again. London's council voted to opt in on December 18, 2018, with one councillor against and one abstaining. Supporters argued that cannabis was already reaching residents online and through the illegal market, and that opting out would only send business elsewhere and cost the city provincial funding.
Once opted in, London can't zone stores away. The province licenses them, and the only location rule is the provincial 150-metre buffer from schools. That wasn't the original plan: in 2017, when Ontario intended to run its own stores, London staff drafted a preferred-location policy asking for 500 metres from schools, libraries, pools, arenas and community centres, and for stores near shopping areas and transit routes.
When did legal cannabis stores open in London?
London drew three of the 25 licences in Ontario's first lottery in January 2019, and the city's first legal store opened on April 1, 2019, at Wonderland Road and Oxford Street. One of the other two missed the province's April deadline and forfeited part of its deposit. A second lottery in August 2019 added two more London sites, one near the Western gates on Richmond Street and one in Hyde Park.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| November 2017 | Staff propose a 500 m preferred-location policy for provincial stores |
| October 17, 2018 | Legalization; online sales only in Ontario |
| November 1, 2018 | Fanshawe College goes smoke-free, cannabis included |
| December 18, 2018 | Council opts in to private stores |
| April 1, 2019 | First legal store opens |
| July 1, 2019 | Western University goes fully smoke-free |
| August 2019 | Second lottery adds two London sites |
What should visitors to London know?
If you're visiting a student at Western or Fanshawe, the campus bans apply to guests too. London Transit bans smoking and vaping within 9 metres of its buses and shelters. You can fly within Canada with up to 30 grams, but taking any amount across the US border, including at Sarnia or Windsor, is illegal. For what's in a product, see how to read a cannabis label.
