ONTARIO POT RULE BASICS

Q What is the minimum age for buying cannabis?

A 19.Q Where will you be able to buy cannabis?

A The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp., a subsidiary of the LCBO, will operate standalone stores, starting with 40 outlets in July and expanding to 150 stores by 2020. The stores will be small — about the size of the LCBO at St. Laurent Shopping Centre — and will sell only cannabis and accessories from behind the counter. Prices will be the same across the province. Permissible hours of operation will be the same as at liquor stores: Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp. will also offer online sales with ID checks, signatures on delivery and no packages left at the door.

Q What will you be able to buy?

A The federal legislation initially allows for the sale of fresh or dried weed, cannabis oil, plants and seeds. Within a year of the legislation taking effect, edible products and concentrates will be approved for sale, too, although it’s not known yet exactly what products will be allowed.

Q How much can you possess?

A People over 19 can possess 30 grams of dried cannabis or its equivalent in public. They can also travel to Ontario from another province with up to 30 grams of cannabis they’ve obtained legally there.

Q Where can it be consumed?

A That hasn’t been fully decided. The Cannabis Act passed in December bans consumption in public places and workplaces, basically restricting people to lighting up at home. However, regulations proposed by the province would loosen the rules to allow people to consume non-smoked or vaped cannabis in hotel rooms, to smoke or vape pot in designated smoking rooms, to consume cannabis on boats and recreational vehicles that are parked and in use as private residences and to consume cannabis in private homes that are also workplaces. The province has also asked the public to comment on the idea of creating cannabis consumption lounges and designated consumption areas outdoors at multi-unit dwellings such as apartments and condos.

Q Can you grow your own?

A Yes, up to four plants per residence grown for recreational purposes. (Medical marijuana patients can already grow their own; plant limits vary.)