Cannabis in Gatineau
Gatineau sits across the river from Ottawa, and the rules change at the bridge: the legal age is 21 in Gatineau and 19 in Ottawa, and only the government-run SQDC sells cannabis on the Quebec side. Gatineau started out with some of the most relaxed public-use rules in Quebec, but since November 2019 smoking in any public place has been banned.
Where can you smoke cannabis in Gatineau?
Only on private property that isn't open to the public. Quebec law has banned smoking and vaping cannabis on streets, patios, parks, beaches and every other public place since November 1, 2019. A city may pass a bylaw allowing smoking in parts of its parks; we found no sign that Gatineau has done so, so assume parks are off limits.
It wasn't always this way. When legalization arrived in 2018, Gatineau council modelled its cannabis rules on tobacco and added nothing on top, so you could light up anywhere tobacco smoking was allowed, apart from places for children such as playgrounds, beaches and sports fields. Its own commission called the result one of the most permissive regimes in Quebec. In 2019 Gatineau joined Montreal in opposing the provincial ban, arguing it overrode municipal autonomy. The province passed it anyway.
How do Gatineau's rules compare with Ottawa's?
For many people in the region the river matters more than any city bylaw. The main differences:
| Gatineau (Quebec) | Ottawa (Ontario) | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal age | 21 | 19 |
| Who sells | SQDC only | Privately run licensed stores |
| Smoking in public | Banned in all public places | Allowed where tobacco is, but banned on City of Ottawa property, including parks |
| Growing at home | Not allowed | Up to four plants |
If you're 19 or 20, buying in Ottawa is legal, but bringing it home is not: Quebec's age of 21 covers possession as well as purchase, so the same bag becomes illegal once you cross into Gatineau.
What has happened in Gatineau since 2018?
Gatineau had no store when legalization began in October 2018. The SQDC confirmed in early 2019 that its first Gatineau outlet would open on boulevard La Gappe, beside Highway 50, and it opened later that year. Trade press reported that sales at the city's provincial store fell by close to half in the year after the age rose to 21 in January 2020, while Ottawa went from three stores to 12 over the same year. Several causes were suggested, including younger buyers crossing the river and Ontario's wider range of vapes and edibles. The SQDC later added 90-minute home delivery in parts of the city.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Council adopts tobacco-style rules with no extra restrictions |
| October 17, 2018 | Legalization; no SQDC store yet in Gatineau |
| 2019 | Gatineau and Montreal oppose Quebec's public-use ban; first Gatineau store opens |
| November 1, 2019 | Smoking banned in all public places in Quebec |
| January 1, 2020 | Legal age rises to 21 |
What should visitors to Gatineau know?
Check which side of the river you're on before you light up, and remember that 30 grams is the public possession limit everywhere in Canada. The province-wide rules, including Quebec's limits on product types, are on the Quebec page. For help with THC and CBD numbers, see reading cannabis labels.
