This month, recreational cannabis will be legal in Canada for the first time in 95 years. However, like alcohol or tobacco, its legal status still comes with rules and regulations, including where it may be consumed. Here is what Calgarians need to know.
Public consumption of recreational cannabis
Under Calgary’s Cannabis Consumption Bylaw, cannabis may be consumed on private property. It is illegal to consume non-medical cannabis in any form (smoking, vaping, or edibles) in public places, except for designated cannabis areas. At the time of this writing, no designated cannabis consumption areas had been confirmed. As Council designates them, their locations will be available on calgary.ca/cannabis.
Medical cannabis may be smoked or vaped in the same public places that are allowed under the Smoking and Vaping Bylaw. See calgary.ca/cannabis for details.
Impaired driving is impaired driving, no matter the substance
Driving while impaired by cannabis is dangerous and against the law. Visit Calgary.ca and search ‘impaired driving’ for information about cannabis-impaired driving, including:
- How impaired drivers are detected
- Criminal penalties for impaired drivers per blood concentration levels of cannabis or alcohol
- What to do if you suspect a driver is impaired
Visit calgary.ca/cannabis and/or for alberta.ca/cannabis more information.
