Vacationing in Canada: A guide to legalization for travelers – Updated (I)

Newfoundland and Labrador

Popular Destinations: St. John’s, Cornerbrook, Gros Morne, Gander, Twillingate, Bonavista, L’Anse Aux Meadows.

Vibe: Super friendly with super weird accents! Canadians call this place “The Rock” and it definitely lives up to it’s name with coastlines as far as the eye can see! The accent is part of a local dialect that is a mixture of Irish, English and Scottish and completely different than any other region of Canada. It can even be difficult for other Canadians to understand, so don’t worry! Just know that whatever they are saying is probably friendly! With tons of wildlife and a beautiful coast with more fish you can ever imagine, you will be able to unplug and disconnect (service can be kinda spotty anyways!) in this fishermans paradise!

• Minimum Age to Purchase, Possess and Share Cannabis: 19+
• Where to Purchase: There will be a limited mix of private retail stores (like Loblaws) and government run stores.
• Other Details: You will only be allowed to smoke in private residences—not vehicles or any public spaces.

Northwest Territories

Popular Destinations: Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Smith

Vibe: A sparsely populated wilderness wonderland where you can smoke Northern Lights while you watch the Northern Lights! Take a dog sled through a total winter wonderland (be prepared to bundle up) make sure you come to watch a beautiful display of our Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky! While you are there, treat yourself to some conflict free Canadian diamonds from one of the many local diamond mines! Another place in Canada with strong Indigenous roots, Northwest Territories eleven official languages! Chipewyan/Dené, Cree, English, French, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tłįchǫ.

• Minimum Age to Purchase, Possess and Share Cannabis: 19+
• Where to Purchase: You can purchase in a select few stores and mostly online sales through a government website.
• Other Details: You will be allowed to consume cannabis in private residences only. The government is limiting cannabis in public spaces as a way to prevent secondhand smoke.

Nova Scotia

Popular Destinations: Halifax, Dartmouth, Truro, Sydney River, New Glasgow, Lower Sackville, Peggy’s Cove, Cabot Trail, Lunenburg

Vibe: Tight maritime communities that are super friendly and welcoming! Enjoy a ton of seafood (especially lobster) and maybe even run into a Trailer Park Boy or two (Trailer Park Boys is filmed in Nova Scotia). Especially scenic in the fall to the Cabot Trail, a super scenic 300 km. drive around the northwest island. There are many small communities to see along the way and you’ll love all the cliffs, beaches and viewpoints to show off on the ‘gram! Peggy’s Cove is like a step back in time—foggy-Atlantic fishing wharves, boathouses, colorful heritage homes dot this adorable seaside community. Famous for the Bluenose Schooner (found on the back of our dimes) is picturesque Lunenburg (proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site for it’s legacy as a working port).

• Minimum Age to Purchase, Possess and Share Cannabis: 19+
• Where to Purchase: Public sale only–The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation will sell online and in only 12 locations– 2 in Halifax and 1 store each in Amherst, Dartmouth, Lower Sackville, New Glasgow, Sydney River, Truro, and Yarmouth. Cannabis will be sold in the same place alcohol is.
• Other Details: Nova Scotia will allow adults to consume cannabis in a private residence and outside in limited outdoor public spaces. Cannabis will be prohibited in any indoor public place, workplace, and in many outdoor spaces, such as school yards, daycare grounds, bar and restaurant patios.

Nunavut

Popular Destinations: Iqaluit, Ellesmere Island, Baffin Island, Killiniq Island, Pond Inlet

Vibe: Arctic paradise with icebergs, dogsleds and actual igloos used by the strong Inuit population! Some people think all Canadians live in igloos (we don’t). In fact, these igloos are just used as shelter when they hunt. Just like other northern areas, you can usually see the Northern Lights here during the winter months (and you should be prepared to bundle up too!). Nunavut is very close to the Arctic Circle and Greenland, so you will also enjoy dogsledding, snowshoeing and all sorts of other winter activities.

• Minimum Age to Purchase, Possess and Share Cannabis: 19+
• Where to Purchase: Public sale online only through a government run site.
• Other Details: Nunavut will allow adults to consume cannabis in private residences, as well as some public spaces where tobacco is allowed. However, it will be prohibited to smoke cannabis in vehicles, school grounds, hospital grounds, and playgrounds. The government is considering putting limits on the storage of cannabis in order to limit stockpiling (for the purpose of illegally reselling it). No home growing is allowed.