Cannabis in Québec
Quebec City banned cannabis on its streets, in its parks and at outdoor events from the first day of legalization in 2018, a year before the province did the same, and it treats smoking a joint in public the same way it treats drinking in public. Its bylaw also makes it an offence to be intoxicated in a public place, and police handed out 97 tickets in the first year.
Where can you smoke cannabis in Quebec City?
Only in private places that aren't open to the public. The city's peace and good order bylaw bans smoking or vaping cannabis in any street or public place, on the same footing as drinking alcohol, and Quebec's own law has banned smoking in all public places since November 2019. The city has not used the provincial option to allow smoking in parts of its parks.
Two local twists matter. Being intoxicated by alcohol or drugs in a street or public place is itself an offence under the city bylaw, so consuming at home and then walking around visibly high can still earn a ticket. And consuming cannabis in a vehicle or on a bicycle is prohibited. Carrying a pipe or other consumption gear for cannabis is allowed.
| Place | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Your own home (if the lease allows it) | Yes |
| Streets, sidewalks and bus stops | No, banned by the city since 2018 |
| City parks | No |
| Plains of Abraham | No |
| Festival d'été and other outdoor events | No |
| In a car or on a bike | No |
| Being visibly high in public | Offence under the city bylaw |
Why is Quebec City stricter than Montreal?
In October 2018 Mayor Régis Labeaume called his council's approach conservative: start with tight rules, modelled on alcohol, and loosen them later if legalization went smoothly elsewhere. Neighbouring Lévis and L'Ancienne-Lorette had already tabled similar bylaws. Fines start at $150 and can reach $1,000 for repeat offences. Montreal went the other way and allowed smoking on sidewalks and in parks until the province overruled it.
The Plains of Abraham were a test case. They are federal land, and Labeaume said the city had an agreement for its rules to apply there. Days before legalization, his office conceded the city couldn't act on the site until the federal manager changed its own rules. The province's 2019 ban on outdoor public smoking made the question moot.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 2018 | Mayor Labeaume announces a ban in all public places, including festivals |
| October 17, 2018 | SQDC stores open in the city; the line at the Sainte-Foy store fills its waiting area |
| 2019 | Festival d'été keeps cannabis off its site to match the city bylaw |
| October 2019 | City reports 97 tickets in the first year, $150 plus fees each |
| November 1, 2019 | Quebec bans smoking in all public places province-wide |
| January 1, 2020 | Legal age rises to 21 |
Where can cannabis stores open in Quebec City?
Only the SQDC, the provincial retailer, sells cannabis. The city says it controls where production and sales can happen through zoning, on top of the provincial rule that keeps stores 250 metres from schools, CEGEPs and adult and vocational centres. The province-wide rules are on the Quebec page.
What should visitors to Quebec City know?
You must be 21 to buy or possess cannabis in Quebec, whatever the age is at home. Quebec has zero tolerance for drugs at the wheel: any detectable cannabis in saliva is enough for an offence. And if you're arriving by cruise ship or flying on to the United States, leave cannabis behind: taking any amount across an international border is illegal. To make sense of THC and CBD numbers on the package, see reading cannabis labels.
