5. Know what happens if you don’t follow the rules
Question & Answer
What do the new laws on cannabis mean?You can be charged with a crime or if you don’t follow the laws.
Federal laws
Depending on the suspected , you could face serious consequences including criminal charges if you break the cannabis laws.
You can be charged with a crime if you:
- have more cannabis in public than you are allowed
- purchase cannabis from an illegal source
- sell or distribute cannabis
- grow more than 4 cannabis plants per household
- import or export cannabis
If you do any of these things, you could have to go to jail or pay a fine. The maximum jail time for possessing more cannabis that you’re allowed is 5 years. For many other offences, the maximum jail time is 14 years.
Provincial laws
Under provincial law, there are offences for:
- buying cannabis from a retailer other than the Ontario Cannabis Store
- having cannabis that was not bought or grown legally
- sharing cannabis that was not bought or grown legally
- knowingly sharing cannabis with a person who may be intoxicated
If you do any of these things, you could get up to 1 year in jail, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
If you use cannabis in a place where you’re not allowed to, you can get:
- a fine of up to $1000 for a first conviction, or
- a fine of $5000 for a conviction that is not your first.
People under 19
There are strict rules to stop people under the age of 19 from buying, having, and using cannabis.
It is a criminal offence to:
- give or sell cannabis to a person under the age of 19, or
- use a person under the age of 19 to commit a cannabis offence.
If you do any of these things, you could be sent to prison for up to 14 years.
It is also an offence to:
- advertise cannabis in a place where people under the age of 19 can take advantage of the offer
- sell cannabis products that are specifically attractive to young people
- package cannabis in a way that makes it more attractive to young people
- allow people to buy cannabis by serving themselves, such as at a vending machine
If you do any of these things, you could be sent to prison for 3 years, pay a fine of $5 million, or both.
Offences under the Youth Criminal Justice Act
If you’re 12 to 17 years old, you can be charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for a criminal offence related to cannabis.
It is an offence to:
- have over 5 grams of cannabis, or its equivalent
- share cannabis with anyone under the age of 19
- sell cannabis