Canada is one of those countries that has many myths about their legalities. One of which, that borders on the line of popular, is that CBD is loosely legal. When on the contrary, the use of cannabis in Canada is actually rather strict. So if you’re planning on traveling to Canada, or even live there, allow us to try and elaborate on the legality of CBD. For starters...
Is CBD legal in Canada?
As much as we would like to give you a straight yes or no answer, the current cannabis laws and regulations in Canada are in a state of “limbo.” For the most part, the answer to this question is yes, but it’s also very much no. Let us explain why...
On October 17th, 2018, the Cannabis Act came into force, which is where Canada legalized marijuana and industrial hemp. This sorta misled people to believe that CBD was then legalized all over the country, for recreational and medicinal use, wherever and whenever. Since CBD does not induce a high like its close cousin THC, many were under the impression that CBD would (obviously) be legalized under looser conditions. When in fact, under the new act, CBD products remain strictly regulated by the government.
CBD is still subjected to numerous rules, regulations, and guidelines. Only cannabis licensed processors and retailers can extract, produce, and sell CBD. So yes, CBD is legal in Canada, you CAN obtain it, but it’s only legal when in compliance with the Cannabis Act and its many regulations. Does that mean you can then bring your own CBD into Canada…? We’ll touch on that in the next segment.
Can I travel (fly or drive) with CBD into Canada?
The short answer to this question is no. It’s illegal to take cannabis (including CBD) across the Canadian border (going in or out of the country). It’s illegal to transport products containing ANY amount of cannabis (even the little amount that’s allowed in CBD) across the Canadian border. This includes all edible cannabis, extracts, and topicals across the board, no matter how much CBD or cannabis you have with you.
According to the government of Canada, even if you’re authorized to use CBD (or cannabis) for medical purposes, you still cannot travel into Canada with it. This also applies to if you’re coming from a state or country where cannabis has been legalized or decriminalized (such as California). If you’re entering Canada with CBD or cannabis in any form, you have to declare it with the Canadian Border Services Agency before traveling and entering.
You can read more about that here
Never try to sneak CBD or cannabis products into Canada. Not declaring it, or being caught with it in your possession, can result in being charged with a serious criminal offense. You could be arrested, or prosecuted, and lose the privilege of entering Canada again. So then you might be asking yourself, how is CBD legal in Canada? Seems like at this point you can’t even use it...We’ll answer that the best we can with the next question on deck.
How can I get CBD in Canada? How do I know it’s legal to have or use?
Once you get into the country, you can almost easily purchase CBD products in Canada. You just have to ensure that you’re buying them from registered retailers. There are plenty of CBD brands throughout Canada, most of them are only made in Canada, and all registered retailers should sell products made by licensed producers, which ensures that it’s legal.
CBD legislation in Canada covers both recreational and medicinal use. However, the THC content of the CBD products cannot be above the legal limit of 0.3%, meaning that it doesn't include psychoactive effects, or get you “high.” As long as you’re buying legal products (with little or no more than 0.3% THC) from a trusted and registered retailer within Canada, then you’re allowed to use CBD as much as you’d like once you’re across Canadian borders.