Cannabis Beverages in Ontario: What to Know Before You Buy

Cannabis drinks are legally edibles in Canada: 10 mg of THC per container, edible-style onset, and a separate possession equivalent. Here is what to know.

Cannabis drinks in Ontario are legally a type of edible cannabis, so the same 10 mg of THC per container limit applies, and Health Canada's edible timing applies too: effects are felt within 30 minutes to 2 hours and can take up to 4 hours to fully arrive. Before you buy, check the Total THC per container, the net volume and the packaging date.

Here is what makes a product a cannabis beverage, what the rules allow inside the can or bottle, and how drinks count toward Ontario's possession limit.

What counts as a cannabis beverage

The federal Cannabis Regulations define a cannabis beverage as edible cannabis that is intended to be consumed by drinking and has a concentration of 3% w/w or less of THC, taking into account the potential to convert THCA into THC.

Health Canada's classification guidance treats products represented as food or to be mixed with food (including drinks) as edible cannabis, and lists prepackaged, ready-to-use drinks in a container typical of beverages as a food format. That is why drinks sit beside edibles in the rules, even though they look very different on the shelf.

The 10 mg THC cap

Because beverages are edible cannabis, each immediate container can hold no more than 10 mg of THC, under section 102.7 of the regulations. Some drinks come in at well under that, and some contain CBD as well. The label tells you exactly how much of each the container holds.

Our edibles guide explains the 10 mg rule in more detail.

What can and cannot go into a cannabis drink

Health Canada's composition requirements for edible cannabis apply to beverages:

• Food and food additives only, alongside the cannabis.
• No purified caffeine. Caffeine can come only from naturally caffeinated ingredients, up to 30 mg per container.
• Alcohol no higher than 0.5% weight-by-weight. A cannabis beverage is not an alcoholic drink.

The regulations also prohibit labelling and packaging that could associate a cannabis product with an alcoholic beverage, and they prohibit selling edible cannabis that must be kept at or below 4°C before opening to prevent contamination.

How to read a cannabis beverage label

Drinks that are not split into units show:

• Net volume in millilitres.
• Total THC for the whole container, in milligrams.
• Total CBD for the whole container, in milligrams.
• A full ingredients list, plus food allergens, gluten and added sulphites.
• A nutrition facts table.
• The standardized cannabis symbol, a health warning, the excise stamp, recommended storage conditions, the lot number and the packaging date.

Our full guide to reading an Ontario cannabis label walks through each part.

Timing: treat a drink like an edible

Drinking cannabis is a form of ingestion. Health Canada's lower your risks guidance says effects from edibles are felt within 30 minutes to 2 hours, with full effects taking up to 4 hours. Health Canada's consumer information adds that ingested effects usually last 4 to 8 hours and that delayed effects may lead to overconsumption.

Start-low basics for drinks:

1. Choose a product with a low amount of THC. Health Canada suggests 2.5 mg of THC or less for edible products.
2. You do not have to finish the container. Follow the storage conditions printed on the label.
3. Wait to feel the effects before having more.
4. Avoid combining cannabis with alcohol or other intoxicating substances, as Health Canada advises.

Beverages and the possession limit

This is where drinks differ from other edibles. Under Schedule 3 of the Cannabis Act, the equivalent amounts are:

With the 30 g public possession limit, that works out to 17,100 g of cannabis beverages. The equivalents are based on product weight. For store purchases, the AGCO says customers cannot buy more than 30 grams of dried cannabis, or the equivalent, at one time. Our possession limits guide covers every format.

Storage at home

Cannabis drinks can look a lot like ordinary soft drinks or sparkling water. Health Canada says to keep all cannabis out of sight and reach of children and pets and to store it in its original child-resistant packaging. In a shared fridge, that means a clearly separated, out-of-reach spot, or a locked container.

Where you can drink them

Ontario says you cannot consume cannabis in a vehicle or boat that is being driven or will be driven, and restricts consumption in enclosed public spaces, workplaces and school grounds, among other places. Drinking counts as consuming. See where you can legally consume cannabis in Toronto.

Shopping for beverages at Sugar Beach Cannabis

Beverages have their own category on our live menu. Compare Total THC and Total CBD per container, the container size and the price. Every product shows a regular price and a lower member price. Staff can show you the low-THC options if you are new to the format.

Useful questions to ask at the counter:

• How many milligrams of Total THC and Total CBD are in this container?
• What is the net volume, and what is the packaging date?
• What storage conditions does the label recommend?
• How does this product count toward the 30 gram purchase limit if I am buying other products too?

Visit Sugar Beach Cannabis

Sugar Beach Cannabis is at 192 Queens Quay East, Unit A5, Toronto, beside Sherbourne Common on the waterfront. Browse the live menu, order online and pick up in store, or walk in with government photo ID (19+). Questions? Contact us or read more about the store.

Frequently asked questions

This article is general information about cannabis rules and products in Ontario, not legal or medical advice. Rules change: check the official sources linked above. Cannabis is for adults 19+. Never drive impaired.