Cannabis 101

An adult (18+) in Alberta is legally allowed to possess up to 30 grams of legally produced dried-cannabis (or the equivalent volume in other forms).

The Government of Canada has developed ratios for other cannabis products that can be used to determine a possession limit for those products.

One (1) gram of dried cannabis is equivalent to:

• 5 g of fresh cannabis
• 15 g of edible product
• 70 g of liquid product
• 0.25 g of concentrates (solid or liquid)
• 1 cannabis plant seed

Forom province to province, and different municipality’s, the laws on cannabis consumption vary. Be sure to check your city or town’s government website for specific bylaws.

For the city of Edmonton, here are some details on where you can and where you can’t consume:

Your Home

Can:

In your own home and yard. It’s important to know, however, that property owners, landlords, condo boards and rental companies can further restrict the smoking and growing of cannabis on their properties and common areas.

Sidewalks

Can:

On some sidewalks in Edmonton, except as outlined below.

Can’t:

Within 10 metres from a bus stop or the doorway, window or air intake of a building or patio.

On a patio.

Vehicles

Can’t:

Just like alcohol, you cannot consume in a vehicle. This includes public vehicles like buses, taxis and LRT.

Can:

In a vehicle being used as a temporary residence, such as a parked RV.

If transporting cannabis in a vehicle, cannabis will need to be contained in closed packaging and out of reach of the driver and any other occupants of the vehicle.

Festivals and Events

Can:

At some festivals and public events, but only in designated areas. Signage will indicate their location. Please check each event or festival’s website for more information about their designated smoking areas.

Public Spaces, Parkland and Commercial Buildings

Can:

In some parks and trails in Edmonton, except as outlined below.

Can’t:

When the park contains:

• A playground
• A sports field
• A skate park or bicycle park
• An outdoor theatre
• An outdoor pool or water spray park
• A seasonal skating rink
• An off-leash area

On or within any:

• Hospital property
• School property
• Child care facility property
• City-owned golf course (Note: tobacco smoking is allowed, but only in designated areas)
• Cemetery
• Ski hill
• Bus terminal or light rail transit platform

Within:

• Sir Winston Churchill Square
• Fort Edmonton Park
• The John Janzen Nature Centre
• The Edmonton Valley Zoo
• The Muttart Conservatory
• William Hawrelak Park

Within an area designated as a no smoking area for cannabis.

Inside any building, including bus shelters, LRT stations and cannabis retail stores.

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For more details please check out the City of Edmonton’s Oficial Cannabis Rules.

After purchasing legal cannabis products, you can consume them by:

• Smoking: Joints, pipes and bongs
• Vapourizing: Breathing in dried cannabis through a vaping device
• Drinking or eating: Homemade edibles made from cannabis oil or dried cannabis
• Ingesting: Capsules containing cannabis oil

THC and CBD are both cannabinoids derived from the cannabis plant, but they’re different in many ways that may influence your next dispensary purchase.

An easy way to think about it is that THC is defined by what cannabis makes you feel, while the effects of CBD can’t be felt. The important distinction is that, unlike THC, CBD will not intoxicate you. It also addresses one of the most common reasons people choose to use CBD—pain management.

Find more info HERE courtesy of Leafly.

In Canada, medical use of cannabis is legal if documentation is provided by specific healthcare practitioners.

• More research is needed to determine the how and why it works for some people
• Want more information on regulations for medical cannabis?
• https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/medical-use-cannabis.html

• Cannabis should always be stored in a locked area out of sight and reach of children and teens. Keep the product in the original packaging which is marked with the universal sign for cannabis.
• What happens if a child eats or drinks cannabis unintentionally?
  • Cannabis can make children very sick. If they eat or drink any cannabis products call the Poison and Drug information Service (PADIS) at 1-800-332-1414. PADIS can be reached 24 hours a day. If you have any reason to believe that your child has been exposed to cannabis, call PADIS.
  • In other areas that have legalized cannabis, the rates of poisonings from cannabis have gone up. Remember that children can be poisoned from eating cannabis, papers or other residues.
  • Pets are also at risk of poisonings. Call your vet if your pet eats or drinks any cannabis products or substances related to your personal cannabis consumption (butts, papers, residues, etc.).

Cannabis comes from two main plants. Cannabis sativa is a tall plant with thin leaves that produces a chemical that creates an uplifting, energized mood. Cannabis indica grows shorter and denser, and is known to produce a more calming effect. Hybrids can have characteristics of both sativa and indica plants, depending on how they were combined.

There is no difference! Marijuana, weed and reefer are just a few examples of the many terms for cannabis used over the years.

Sourced from the flowers, buds or leaves of the cannabis plant, cannabis is a drug used by many people for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

If you start to feel shaky, paranoid, experience delusions or even just feel like you are “too high”, chances are you’ve taken too much. This can happen when you take a larger dose than usual, especially if you’re new to cannabis.

Alberta Health Services offers free counselling through their help line, available 24/7 at 1-866-332-2322

Talk to your health care practitioner, or contact Health Link at 811 for medical advice.