Guide

THC drinks in Canada: how cannabis beverages work

Cannabis beverages have been legal in Canada since October 2019, and each container can hold no more than 10 mg of THC. They are classed as edibles, so they act slowly: Health Canada says effects can start 30 minutes to 2 hours after drinking.

Cans of cannabis drinks and a glass of sparkling drink with fruit and ice

6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026 · WeedDB editors

Cannabis drinks are a legal edible category in Canada, capped at 10 mg of THC per container, and they work like any other ingested cannabis: slowly, and for longer than smoking. Here is what the law allows, how much counts toward your public possession limit, how long they take, how the THC gets into a drink, and what Health Canada says about alcohol and driving.

Are THC drinks legal in Canada?

Yes. Edible cannabis, which includes beverages, became legal to sell in Canada in October 2019 under the Cannabis Regulations, a year after legalization of dried flower. Adults can buy them from provincially authorized retailers, the same way as other legal cannabis.

Cannabis drinks fall under the Cannabis Act and its regulations, not under alcohol rules. They are sold as cannabis, labelled as cannabis and subject to the same age limits as other products. Tea bags and powders added to a drink fall into the same group.

Making your own is also allowed. Adults can prepare food and drinks containing cannabis at home, provided dangerous organic solvents are not used. Homemade drinks have no label, so their strength is uncertain. See our guide to making cannabutter for how home infusion works.

How much THC can a cannabis drink contain?

No more than 10 mg of THC per container. Under the Cannabis Regulations, that cap applies to the whole beverage, not to each serving, and Ontario Cannabis Store education pages describe the same limit for a unit of beverage mix such as a tea bag or powder packet.

Health Canada suggests that people new to cannabis start with a product containing 2.5 mg of THC or less, and advises the most caution with products containing 10 mg or more. A full 10 mg drink is the top of what the law allows, not a recommended starting amount.

The 10 mg cap is the same one that applies to other edibles, so a drink and a gummy pack share the same ceiling. For how that cap works across edible formats, see how long do edibles take.

How much counts toward the 30 g public limit?

In a public place, an adult can have up to 30 g of dried cannabis or the equivalent in other forms. Cannabis beverages have their own row in Schedule 3 of the Cannabis Act: 570 g of beverage counts as 1 g of dried cannabis, so 17,100 g (about 17 kg) equals the 30 g limit. Other liquids, such as tinctures, use the 70 g row instead.

That makes the possession limit very hard to reach with drinks alone: 17,100 g is far more than anyone carries around. In practice, the weight counted is the weight of the product, not the cannabis in it, so the table works for any mix of items you are carrying. The full set is in the table above.

To total up a mix, convert each item and add. If you carry a drink and some flower, count the drink by its weight against the 570 g per gram of dried figure, and the flower by weight. For more on units and limits, see weed measurements.

Form	Equals 1 g dried	Equals 30 g dried
Dried cannabis	1 g	30 g
Fresh cannabis	5 g	150 g
Solids containing cannabis (most edibles)	15 g	450 g
Non-solids containing cannabis, other than beverages	70 g	2,100 g
Cannabis concentrates	0.25 g	7.5 g
Cannabis beverages	570 g	17,100 g
Cannabis plant seeds	1 seed	30 seeds

Cannabis Act Schedule 3 equivalency: what counts as 1 g of dried cannabis, and what equals the 30 g public possession limit.

How long do cannabis drinks take to work?

Health Canada says effects from eating or drinking cannabis can begin within 30 minutes to 2 hours, with the strongest effects 2 to 4 hours in, and effects lasting 4 to 8 hours. Some impairment can remain for up to 24 hours. A drink is ingested cannabis, so it follows that timeline, not the faster one for smoking or vaping.

The Ontario Cannabis Store describes the same pattern for drinks: effects commonly start around 30 minutes and may take two hours or more, with full effects around four hours. How fast and how strongly it hits depends on your body, how much you have eaten and your tolerance.

The main risk with the delay is taking a second drink because the first seems to be doing nothing. Health Canada advises waiting before consuming more. For the full timeline across edibles, see how long do edibles take, and for every method side by side, how long does a high last.

How does THC get into a drink?

THC is an oil, and oil does not mix with water on its own. Producers solve this with an emulsifier, an ingredient that lets oil spread evenly through a water-based liquid. The Ontario Cannabis Store describes licensed producers blending cannabis extract with an emulsifier to make it water-soluble, then adding it to ready-made drinks or turning it into drops or powders you add yourself.

The goal is an even distribution, so each sip contains a similar amount. Producers also test finished products, and the label amount is what the regulations hold them to. We found no Health Canada guidance setting one required method of emulsion, so we will not name one as standard.

Differences in how products are made are one reason two drinks with the same THC number can feel different. We found no source giving a set difference in timing between formulations, so use the label and start low.

How do you read a cannabis drink label?

A drink label shows the THC and CBD content per container, the standardized cannabis symbol, the producer and a lot number, along with Health Canada's warning messages. For beverages, the THC figure is the whole container, so a bottle with several servings still holds at most 10 mg in total.

Check the amount per container first, then any stated serving size, and compare. If a label shows 10 mg per container and you plan to drink half, you are taking about 5 mg, which is already above the 2.5 mg starting amount Health Canada suggests for new consumers.

For what each part of a Canadian label means, see reading cannabis labels. Look also at the best before date and the packaging, which must be child-resistant.

Can you mix THC drinks with alcohol or drive after?

Health Canada advises against using cannabis and alcohol at the same time, because the combination can increase impairment and slow reaction time beyond what either does alone. The Ontario Cannabis Store gives the same advice and notes mixing can bring dizziness and nausea.

Driving while impaired by cannabis is illegal in Canada. Health Canada notes that effects of ingested cannabis can last well beyond the point where you feel normal, and the Ontario Cannabis Store recommends waiting six or more hours before driving after consuming a drink.

Keep drinks away from children and pets. A drink in a familiar container can be mistaken for an ordinary beverage, and Health Canada warns about accidental poisoning in children from edible products. Store cannabis out of sight and out of reach, in its original packaging.

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Sources: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, ocs.ca, canada.ca, canada.ca

Common questions

Are cannabis drinks legal in Canada?

Yes. Edible cannabis, including beverages, has been legal to sell since October 2019 under the Cannabis Regulations, through provincially authorized retailers.

How much THC can a cannabis drink have?

No more than 10 mg of THC per container under the Cannabis Regulations. Health Canada suggests new consumers start with 2.5 mg of THC or less.

How many cannabis drinks can I carry in public?

Schedule 3 of the Cannabis Act counts 570 g of cannabis beverage as 1 g of dried cannabis, so 17,100 g of drinks equals the 30 g public possession limit for adults. The weight counted is the weight of the whole product.

How long do cannabis drinks take to kick in?

Health Canada says effects from ingested cannabis can begin 30 minutes to 2 hours after use, with the strongest effects 2 to 4 hours in. Wait before drinking more.

Can I mix cannabis drinks with alcohol?

Health Canada advises against it. Using both together can increase impairment and slow reaction time.

Can I drive after a THC drink?

Driving while impaired by cannabis is illegal in Canada, and effects from drinks can last for hours. Some impairment can remain for up to 24 hours, so plan another way home.

Why are cannabis drinks made with an emulsifier?

THC is an oil that does not mix with water. Producers blend extract with an emulsifier so it spreads through the liquid, according to the Ontario Cannabis Store.

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