You have come here looking for a simple answer to the question “is CBD legal in Canada 2022”.
It truly is amazing the country we live in currently. We have black and white rules when it comes to Cannabis usage but the rules regarding CBD are not as clear for retailers anyway.
If you do a simple search for CBD Canada you will a plethora of results from all over Canada. You will find many sources of CBD products sold by of course various provincial-run stores like the Ontario Cannabis Store and also the BC Cannabis Stores as a few examples. If you dig deeper you will find the private legal dispensaries. If you look even further you will find a huge illicit market of CBD products that look legal but at the end of the day, they are not.
It’s not the say the illicit CBD market product has bad products, actually, they have pretty impressive qualities and standards in many cases but the manufacturers and retailers selling these products are not registered to do so and they risk being sought after by Health Canada and various policing departments such as the Community Safety Unit (CSU) which carry out compliance and enforcement activities against unlicensed cannabis retailers and other illegal sellers across the province
Is CBD Legal In Canada?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is certainly legal in Canada since the Cannabis Act passed in October 2018. CBD which is derived from Cannabis (hemp or marijuana) falls under the Cannabis Act and as of 2022, it’s still included in it and falls under the same regulations as THC products. This means that you are legally allowed to buy it and possess it, but the distribution point is where many consumers are unaware.
What Products is CBD legal in Canada 2022 ?
In the year 2022 CBD is oddly enough still considered a controlled substance and considered Cannabis under law in Canada. Under the Cannabis Act CBD remains illegal unless authorized. CBD is still strictly regulated and only legal when sold in compliance with the Cannabis Act. It’s hard to actually believe this given the huge black market of CBD products which have a very professional look and feel and the companies selling them are probably genuinely great at customer service as well.
As the author of this post, my belief is that CBD should be treated as an over-the-counter type of health supplement. The benefits of CBD are very much understudied here in Canada but with all of my experience with it, it’s life-changing. My opinion alone won’t change much and if you are looking for the legal route then you must go with the legal path of products if you are looking to answer your question is CBD legal in Canada?
The Canada Cannabis act goes into depth on the type of packaging requirements needed for authorized Cannabis products, which include CBD.
These requirements mimic the photo above and below. CBD products must be packaged in child-resistant containers and labeled with the cannabis symbol. It must also include health warning messages and specific product information such as brand, class of cannabis, and license holder information.
Each province and territory in Canada have the authority to authorize the distribution and sale of cannabis in their respective jurisdiction and only cannabis produced under the Cannabis Act may be sold.
A cannabis product that meets all their requirements is as follows:
An example of edible cannabis in discrete units
- The standardized cannabis symbol
- The brand name of the cannabis product
- THC and CBD content
- Health warning message
- Other brand elements
- Other required information about the cannabis product
- Non-required information about the cannabis product
- Nutrition facts table
- List of ingredients
- Bar code
Is shipping CBD to Canada from the USA allowed?
No, due to CBD still being a federally regulated drug, you cannot ship CBD from the USA to Canada. It goes to say that you should also not take CBD from Canada into the USA. There have been a bunch of documented cases where Canadians were arrested or fined due to it.
Do I need a prescription for CBD Oil in Canada?
No, you do not need a prescription for CBD oil in Canada. Health Canada CBD regulations follow the same path as Cannabis. In Canada all Cannabis products including CBD which is derived from Cannabis are legal. Below you can find the legal paths to purchasing CBD.
Are CBD edibles legal in Canada?
Yes, due to updated Cannabis regulations and laws CBD edibles are legal in Canada and are produced by licensed producers and follow packaging regulations, and are also purchased at licensed retail stores. If you purchase CBD edibles from the illicit black market they are still legal, it’s the manufacturers and retailers who are taking the risk. The black market is also not regulated so ensure you are dealing with a company with lots of reviews and community feedback if you choose to go that route.
What are legal and authorized points of sale per province?
British Columbia Cannabis Sales
In British Columbia, the Province has assigned the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDR) and sells direct to consumers at the BC Cannabis Store for nonmedical and public use.
You can also buy from an authorized retail Cannabis store by searching for one using this search map of retail stores in British Columbia.
Alberta Cannabis Sales
Cannabis in Alberta is handled by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis organization.
For online sales in Alberta, the only legal pathway for buying online prior to March 2022 was AlbertaCannabis.org. This has since changed and now you can find a great map of authorized online retailers in Alberta at the Cannabis Licensee search site which would be private Cannabis stores.
Saskatchewan Cannabis Sales
In Saskatchewan, both wholesale and retail are regulated by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) and conducted by the private sector.
Cannabis including CBD is only to be sold in the province by authorized retailers, you can find the list of retails here.
Manitoba Cannabis Sales
The Liquor, Gaming, and Cannabis heads the Cannabis sales in Manitoba. Licensed stores in Manitoba can both sell online and via the phone.
You can find the list of licensed stores in Manitoba here: https://lgcamb.ca/cannabis/store-list/
Ontario Cannabis Sales
Cannabis supply is strictly regulated in Ontario by the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario. There is only one approved online point of sale and that’s the Ontario Cannabis Store. This means that any online store operating in Ontario is actually doing so illegally (for Cannabis and CBD).
If you are looking for approved and authorized retails of Cannabis in Ontario you can check out this friendly map of approved stores.
Quebec Cannabis Sales
Cannabis is tightly controlled in Quebec. We have seen many search results asking “is CBD legal in Quebec” and that’s for good reason. Cannabis is controlled entirely by Société québécoise du cannabis. They control all the retail stores and online sales. There are no private retailers in Quebec for Cannabis currently in 2022.
If you are looking for a retail store you can check out the SDQC retail store locator page.
New Brunswick Cannabis Sales
New Brunswick has a similar model as Quebec and currently the only legal online and retail purchasing point is Cannabis NB which is controlled by the government. In 2021 regulation changes are said to be coming which will allow for private Cannabis stores to operate sometime in 2022/2023.
Any online store as of current which is operating in NB is doing so in the illicit market.
PEI Cannabis Sales
PEI shares the same model of selling cannabis as that of New Brunswick and Quebec and PEI Cannabis sales are strictly run by PEI Cannabis Management Corporation. They oversee the online and retail sales. Cannabis can only be sold by government-owned retail locations and the government-owned online e-commerce site.
Newfoundland and Labrador Cannabis Sales
The legal pathway and sale and distribution of Cannabis in Newfoundland and Labrador are controlled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC). There are a bit over 20 retailers operating in this province. Private retail stores up to this point are not allowed.
You can buy Cannabis online at their retail store CannabisNL.
Yukon Cannabis Sales
The Yukon is more of a free market and Cannabis sales are ultimately controlled by the Yukon Liquor Commission. Sales of cannabis are done through the government’s website but they also allow private retailers to sell in the Yukon as of May 2022. Licensed Cannabis retailers in the Yukon can also sell online for home delivery.
You can find a short list of Yukon Cannabis Retailers here
Northwest Territories Cannabis Sales
Sales of Cannabis in the Northwest Territories is operated both on a provincial level as well as a private retail level. You can buy in person and online from the government website Relafnt.
You can also choose to support private licensed retailers by looking at the list of licensed retailers here.
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