Attn:Canadians Looking for law on marijuana?
Hello, I will be visiting montreal and quebec in a few months and I would like to know what the law is regarding smoking marijuana in those provinces. I have called the embassy and looked online and all I have been able to come up with is that it is and isnt illegal.
Can you drive and smoke it?
Do you have to be in a club to smoke it?
Can you buy it somewhere in canada?
Can you bring it into the country?
Do canadians in that part of the country look down on it?
These are the kinds of questions I have. Any help would be great so that I dont make an ass out of myself in another country. Thanks for all the help!
I live in canada and it is illegal everywhere here far as i am aware, good luck finding it unless you have friends here, or maybe try soem people at the bars but careful of cops. You can smoke it as long as you dont get caught, i wouldnt go walking down the street smoking it though a little risky.
It is still illegal for recreational use but legal for medical use (the gov’t actually grows it). The prior Liberal Party government proposed to legalize it for personal recreational use but the new Conservative, Bush-loving gov’t quashed the proposal (thank goodness latest polls indicate loss of the Conservatives’ popularity; we have a parliamentary system so it may be voted out soon).
But pot-smoking is generally tolerated and penalties for individual recreational use very minor here and not enforced except for driving whilst influenced, although policing of persons selling small quantities of pot is a still a little stricter here than it is in BC, where it is hardly at all except for some prosecution of large growing operations.
It is illegal….to possess or use it. This is thanks to a Conservative government who believes that a country is safer and more productive, when it’s citizens aren’t “Stoned”……Go figure the rationale of that one? This is a complete 180 degrees, from the Liberal philosophy, that if the citizens are stoned, they won’t notice when we rob them blind.
‘ll answer your questions in order.
No, driving under the influence is prohibited.
No you don’t need to be in a club (there are a few illegal cafes), you can light up anywhere, but if you are caught and have a small personal stash (15 grams or less) then at the very least, it will be confiscated. It still is technically against the law, but unless you give the Police a hassle, you’ll likely get off with the confiscation and a warning. The Cops, at their discretion, could also give you a ticket, as a payable fine. If the amount is more than 15 grams, you’re screwed, unless the Cop asks to have a hit.
If you attend any of the Marijuana rallies, it’s not uncommon to get high just standing around, next to some smiling Police Officers and oddly enough, they always seem to know where the best stuff is being smoked.
Can you buy it? Yes, if you know who to ask . It’s not terribly difficult, but don’t go asking for more than a joint. It could land you in trouble if you don’t know the person.
Could you bring it in? That will certainly get you in the bad books. Not a good idea, it’s illegal and while it may be tolerated somewhat recreationally, smuggling ANYTHING across a national border is just dumb. You will be turned away if caught and put on a watch list. Ohh yeah and you lose the stash.
Do Quebeckers look down on it? Some do, some don’t. It’s the same demographic as anywhere in Canada. Most people in their 65’s to 90’s frown on it, older than that, well, they have their own meds thankyou very much. Younger, it is split 50/50 on approval, but it’s generally tolerated by most as long as it’s not their living room.
The important thing to remember is that although our attitude to MJ is more relaxed than the USA, it is still on the books as being illegal. The Police can still charge you if you give them a good reason. It’s the current lack of clarity on the law as it stands, that is the main reason why the Police aren’t putting people in jail over small amounts. Many of those cases are taking up far too much court time and resulting in very few convictions.
Here’s a decent site to visit. http://www.torontohemp.com/canadian.htm#AA1
Do I smoke? I did as a kid, now I don’t because of my job. Do I care? Nope. As long as you don’t hurt someone else or their property, what someone does is their own buisness.
What the answer before me (scubabob) said is all true, although I’d like to expand on the one point about bringing it into the country…If you get caught they not only take the stash, but also the car, the cash, pretty much everything…then you are charged with smuggling a banned substance into the country…I know this because it happened to me trying to cross at the BC border.
Hey, Kat, you must me joking…or dreaming. You are going to Montreal and Quebec , not Amsterdam !
No is the answer to all your questions !
No your cannot drive and smoke!
No you dont have to be in a club to smoke, you just cannot be caught smoking, period!
You can probably buy it anywhere in Canada if you find somebody who will sell it to you !
No, you cannot bring any pot in Canada and I would strongly advise you not to even try. This is definitively a no-no, anywhere you go, not just in Canada!. Last time I went through customs, they had 3 sniffing dogs, smelling everybody and all the luggage!
And to answer your last question, it is like anywhere else…some canadians don’t mind, and some do!
Hope you have fun in Canada even if you have to be straight!