Flying inside Canada with legal cannabis is allowed. Flying out of the country with it is not, and that includes trips to U.S. states where weed is legal. Here is what the airport security authority says, which laws apply at your destination, and what the border agency expects.
Can you fly with weed in Canada?
Yes, on a flight that starts and ends in Canada. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) lists cannabis as allowed in both carry-on and checked baggage for domestic travel.
The 30 g rule comes from the Cannabis Act, not from CATSA: an adult can possess up to 30 g of dried cannabis, or the equivalent in other forms, in public. An airport is a public place, so you should stay within that amount. Our weed measurements guide shows how edibles, oils and other forms convert to grams.
The safest way to carry it is in the original, sealed package with the label and excise stamp intact. That shows it came from a legal source.
Pack it as you would for any trip. Keep products in their original packaging, and keep cannabis in one place so you can show it quickly if asked. A small, odour-resistant container helps keep the smell down in a bag, and our guide to what weed smells like explains why it carries so far.
Do domestic flights allow carry-on and checked weed?
CATSA says cannabis can go in either carry-on or checked luggage. Liquid and topical products follow the liquids rule in the cabin, so a cannabis oil or a THC drink has to meet the same size limits as shampoo. Our THC drinks guide explains why a beverage counts as a liquid.
Airlines can add their own rules, and some limit what can go in the cabin. Check with the airline if you plan to carry vaporizers or batteries, which have their own battery rules.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| Dried flower, carry-on | Allowed on domestic flights; stay within 30 g or the equivalent |
| Dried flower, checked bag | Allowed on domestic flights; stay within 30 g or the equivalent |
| Oils, liquids and topicals, carry-on | Treated as liquids, aerosols and gels: in the 1-litre clear resealable bag with other liquids |
| Medical cannabis oil over 100 ml, carry-on | Allowed for medical use; remove it and show the screening officer |
| Medical cannabis quantities | Must follow the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations |
| Any flight leaving Canada | Illegal, including to the United States |
Which provincial laws apply at your destination?
The province you land in sets the rules for age and use, and you are responsible for knowing them. CATSA tells travellers to learn the laws at their destination within Canada.
The legal age is not the same everywhere. It is 18 in Alberta, 21 in Quebec and 19 in the other provinces. An adult from Alberta who is 18 cannot legally have cannabis in Ontario, and a 19-year-old from Ontario cannot have it in Quebec.
Public use rules also differ. Some provinces limit use to private residences, and Quebec bans smoking or vaping cannabis in any public place. Carrying within the 30 g limit does not mean you can use it anywhere you land, and hotels can set their own smoking and vaping rules. Find the local rules on the Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and other provincial pages.
Can you take weed on a plane to the United States?
No. It is illegal to take cannabis out of Canada, and CATSA states that flying outside of Canada with cannabis is illegal. That includes U.S. states where cannabis is legal, because it remains illegal under U.S. federal law and the border is a federal crossing.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) advises travellers not to attempt to cross the Canada-U.S. border with any amount of cannabis in any form, even if they are going to a state that has legalized possession. A medical prescription from a doctor is not a Health Canada authorization.
Canada's travel advice adds that travelling to other countries with cannabis, including the United States, could lead to criminal charges and being denied entry in the future.
Does CBD or hemp count at the border?
Yes, in the eyes of the CBSA. It says importing or exporting cannabis and cannabis products without a valid permit or exemption from the Government of Canada is illegal, and it includes CBD products derived from cannabis or hemp.
So a CBD gummy or oil from a legal Canadian store is not a safe item for an international trip. Leave it at home unless you hold the right authorization, and check the rules of any country you will transit.
Check the label, too: our guide to reading cannabis labels shows how to tell what is actually in a product.
What about connecting flights and diversions?
Plan around the route as well as the airport. A domestic itinerary that connects through a U.S. airport is not a domestic trip for cannabis purposes, because you leave Canadian jurisdiction. If a flight is rerouted for weather or a technical problem, you can end up somewhere you did not plan.
Stay with domestic-only routings, and if you cannot be sure how a flight will route, leave the cannabis at home. A trip that starts and ends in Canada but touches foreign soil carries the same risks as an international flight.
What happens if you bring weed into Canada?
Bringing cannabis into Canada is illegal without a permit or exemption, and it has to be declared. If you enter Canada with cannabis in any form, you must declare it to the CBSA.
Since March 29, 2021, the CBSA can issue administrative monetary penalties of $200 to $2,000 to travellers who fail to properly declare cannabis, depending on the contravention, its severity and any history of non-compliance. It can also pursue criminal prosecution, which can bring a fine, imprisonment, or both. Officers detain undeclared cannabis with no terms of release.
The simple rule: if you did not buy it in Canada and use it in Canada, do not cross a border with it.
Sources: catsa-acsta.gc.ca, travel.gc.ca, canada.ca, canada.ca, laws-lois.justice.gc.ca












