If you’re planning a trip to Canada soon and you’d like to know how to shop for cannabis while traveling in Canada, especially British Columbia, this article will explain where to shop for all cannabis products including where to find products like CBD. I’ll also go over some of the laws so you know what to expect.
I visited Parksville B.C in June 2024 and while I was there I headed over to Oceanside Cweed, a cannabis store owned by my friend Unity Marguerite. In the video below, I spoke with her about what the laws are for cannabis, and what products she suggests you buy when you’re traveling in Canada.
The laws for cannabis in Canada
The laws in Canada for cannabis all fall under the cannabis act. The cannabis act regulates everything cannabis related including CBD, hemp and topicals. This is why you can only buy cannabis products in cannabis stores in Canada, including CBD. This is quite different from the United States where hemp, and hemp-based products like CBD are sold everywhere, including gas stations.
In Canada the law for edibles allows for a maximum of 10mg of THC for food products such as beverages and gummies. However edible extracts like lozenges, and oils can have higher doses of THC.
Each province has their own laws. For example in Quebec you can’t buy sweet edibles, only savoury so you can buy infused sausage and ramen, just not gummies or brownies. However you can buy beverages like lemonade in Quebec. You also can’t buy topicals or CBD in Quebec, those products are only sold through the medical side and are not available in cannabis stores.
The age for consumption is different per province.
Alberta: 18 yrs old
BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, PEI, Yukon: 19 yrs old
Quebec: 21 yrs old (however you can be 18 years old to buy liquor in Quebec)
Minors are not allowed in cannabis stores, even when accompanied by an adult. In B.C all cannabis products, including accessories have to be locked up behind glass.
You can’t cross the Canada/U.S border with any cannabis product, that includes CBD and topicals. Which is why I’m going to give you some product suggestions for traveling in Canada so you can use up what you buy while you’re here.
Cannabis products to buy in Canada while travelling
As I mentioned, you can’t leave the country with any cannabis product so here’s a few suggestions on what to buy when you’re travelling in Canada, so you can easily consume it before you have to cross the border.
*Note- every province carries different cannabis products. Ontario has the biggest selection as they have the largest population in Canada.
Prerolls
Prerolls are simply prerolled joints you can buy either as flower only, or infused with extracts like kief and diamonds. Prerolls are sold individually or in packs. This is a great way to smoke cannabis while travelling in Canada, depending on the length of your stay and how much you consume, you can simply buy 1 joint or packs of 3 to 20 and this saves you from buying bigger jars of cannabis, rolling papers and a grinder.
You can buy 1 gram of dried flower however it’s harder to find, mostly you’ll find 3.5 grams or 7 grams in jars. Not many of the really good brands sell 1 gram. This is why prerolls are perfect for travelling. You can also buy a preroll if you use a dry herb vaporizer as you can simply empty the contents into the bowl.
Watch the video above as Unity recommends her favourite prerolls to try here in B.C.
Vape Pens
There’s many options for vaping products on the market however when you’re traveling disposable vape pens are the best option. In B.C we have a 25% vape tax so be prepared to pay a lot over sticker price in this province for vapes.
Beverages
I love cannabis beverages, most are fast-acting which means there’s a shorter onset and duration than a standard edible. Usually 15 to 30 min onset and duration of 1 to 2 hours. You can buy many different kinds of drinks from alcohol inspired, sodas, iced teas and more.
Visit my reviews for beverages to see my favourite beverages on the market
Edibles
There are a lot of edibles to choose from, if you need a higher dose look for ingestible extracts like Edison Jolts or Aurora Drift Gummies which have higher doses of THC in the package. If you need lower dose look for edibles that have more pieces per package like Pearls by Gron.
CBD Only
If you aren’t staying long, and you don’t want to buy a whole bottle of capsules, you can buy CBD edibles in smaller packages that can be consumed while you’re here. Also there’s several CBD beverages you can buy, including individual tea bags.
Some suggestions:
Wyld CBD Mixed Berry gummies have 30 x 25mg of CBD per bag however they’re hemp derived CBD, so there’s no THC in the gummy. This means you can eat a few at a time and not worry about it, they’re also quite tasty!
Okanagan CBD Creamer, there’s 50mg of CBD per packet and there’s 10 packets per bag. I love this creamer in coffee, it’s a great way to get your CBD in your morning coffee or tea when you’re on vacation.
Topicals
Unless you need CBD cream for pain, I don’t recommend buying creams when you’re here unless you’re planning a longer trip. Same for facial products like lip balms or face washes. These products can be costly and usually take about a month to use up, so I don’t recommend it if you’re not here for long.
I do recommend the bath bombs or salts as you can easily use those up while you’re here.
Online cannabis shopping in Vancouver BC
One of the good things that came out of the pandemic was being able to order cannabis online for pickup at the store, or free delivery. Many cannabis stores offer free same day delivery in Vancouver, just do a Google search for one within the delivery zone for where you’re staying. This makes it more convenient when you have a busy day planned!
Cannabis lounges in Canada
Depending on when you’re reading this article, there’s very few lounges where you can consume Canada as in none, with the exception of B.C. There was a revision to the provincial laws in 2024 allowing for the consumption of cannabis on existing patios that also allow smoking. However indoor consumption lounges are not yet available in Canada but I expect this to change in the near future.
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