In Canada, recreational cannabis use has been legal since October 17, 2018.
Cannabis Use At The Fort McMurray International Airport
Cannabis use is prohibited on airport property. This includes the areas outside of the terminal building designated for tobacco smoking or vaping. This policy on cannabis consumption follows the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s Smoking and Vaping Bylaw no. 18/022: “Consumption of Cannabis in any form including smoking or vaping is prohibited in a public place.”
Travelling with Cannabis
Under the above-mentioned legislation, passengers are permitted to travel within Canada with up to 30 grams of cannabis in their possession. The passenger will have to be of legal age, of the provinces or territories they are travelling through. It is illegal to travel with any more than this amount for non-medicinal purposes.
Travellers are responsible for their actions at all times. Regulations around travelling while impaired has not changed.
As per Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) 602.04;
“No operator of an aircraft shall allow a person to board the aircraft, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person’s faculties are impaired by alcohol or a drug to an extent that may present a hazard to the aircraft or to persons on board the aircraft.”
Travelling Across International Borders
Transporting cannabis across Canada’s national borders remains illegal, whether you are entering or leaving Canada. This remains a serious criminal offence, subject to arrest and prosecution, despite the legalization of cannabis within Canada.
To find out more, visit the Canada Border Services Agency website or Travel.gc.ca/cannabis.
Further Information on Cannabis Use and Possession:
The following websites provide more information on cannabis use and possession:
Cannabis legalization in Alberta
Cannabis and International Travel (Government of Canada)
Cannabis and U.S. Travel (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Cannabis and the Border (Government of Canada)