Cannabis in Mississauga
Mississauga banned legal cannabis stores for more than four years: council opted out in December 2018, said no again in 2021, and only lifted the ban on April 19, 2023, so its legal stores are newer than almost anywhere else in the GTA. City bylaw bans smoking cannabis in parks and at Celebration Square, and Toronto Pearson airport, which sits inside Mississauga, bans it across airport property.
Why did Mississauga ban cannabis stores, and what changed?
On December 12, 2018, council used Ontario's one-time option to opt out of private stores. The mayor cited "too many unknowns" and hoped the province would give cities control over where stores could go. A second attempt in June 2021 failed when the general committee voted 8-4 against, with councillors again worried about clustering and proximity to daycares.
What changed was the illegal market. A 2023 staff report found Mississauga was "disproportionately" served by unlicensed shops compared with cities that had opted in, and one councillor described an illegal store in her ward that had survived six police attempts to close it. Her motion to opt in passed 8-4 on April 19, 2023. Under Ontario's rules that decision is permanent: a city that opts in can't opt back out.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 17, 2018 | Legalization; online sales only in Ontario |
| December 12, 2018 | Council opts out of private stores |
| June 2021 | Second look; general committee votes 8-4 to stay opted out |
| April 19, 2023 | Council votes 8-4 to opt in |
| May 2023 | First store applications posted by the AGCO |
Does Mississauga control where stores open?
No. The city says it has no formal role in licensing or choosing locations. The AGCO licenses stores, and the main location rule is Ontario's 150-metre buffer from schools. Residents can comment during the AGCO's public notice period for each application.
Because stores only began opening in mid-2023, unlicensed shops that set up during the ban are still part of the landscape. Licensed stores display Ontario's authorized retailer seal; if a shop doesn't, it isn't legal.
Where can you smoke cannabis in Mississauga?
Ontario allows cannabis use wherever tobacco smoking is allowed (see the Ontario rules). Mississauga's Smoking By-law 0094-2014 covers smoking tobacco and cannabis in city parks and other public spaces, and the city has said cannabis use isn't permitted in publicly owned spaces such as Celebration Square, parks, playgrounds and sports facilities. Peel Region's smoking and vaping bylaw adds limits on vaping outdoors and near building entrances.
| Place | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Your own home or private property (owner permitting) | Allowed |
| City parks, playgrounds, sports facilities | Not allowed |
| Celebration Square | Not allowed |
| Restaurant and bar patios | Not allowed (provincial law) |
| Toronto Pearson airport property | Not allowed |
What should visitors know?
You must be 19 to buy or use cannabis in Ontario. Toronto Pearson is in Mississauga, and it bans smoking and vaping cannabis across airport property. Domestic flights with cannabis within the legal limit are allowed; carrying any amount across an international border is a crime. To check a product's contents, see how to read a cannabis label.
