Buying CBD in Ontario: Where It's Legal and What to Look For

In Canada, CBD is regulated as cannabis. Here is where you can legally buy it in Ontario and what to check on the label.

In Ontario, you can legally buy CBD from an authorized cannabis retail store or online from the Ontario Cannabis Store, and, for medical purposes, from a federally licensed seller. Health Canada says CBD and products containing CBD are subject to all of the rules that apply to cannabis under the Cannabis Act, so a CBD product sold anywhere else is not a legal product.

Here is why CBD is treated as cannabis, how to tell a legal seller from one that is not, and what to read on a CBD label.

What CBD is

CBD is short for cannabidiol. Health Canada's page on cannabidiol (CBD) and industrial hemp describes it as a compound found in the cannabis plant and one of its cannabinoids. Health Canada says CBD is not intoxicating, but adds that it does have an effect on the brain.

CBD and THC are the two most common cannabinoids in cannabis. For how each one appears on a label, see our THC vs CBD guide.

Why CBD is regulated as cannabis

Health Canada is direct on this point:

• All phytocannabinoids are regulated under the Cannabis Act. CBD is a phytocannabinoid.
• CBD and products containing CBD are subject to all the rules that apply to cannabis under the Act and its regulations.
• CBD products are only legal when sold in compliance with the Act and its regulations.
• Activities with phytocannabinoids, including CBD, remain illegal unless authorized.

What about hemp?

Health Canada's About cannabis page says cannabis with very low THC in its flowers and leaves (less than 0.3%) is classified as hemp. That does not make hemp-derived CBD a separate, unregulated product. Health Canada says the Cannabis Act and its regulations do not distinguish between CBD derived from industrial hemp and CBD derived from cannabis with more than 0.3% THC. Hemp producers may not extract CBD themselves unless they also hold a cannabis processing or research licence.

Where you can legally buy CBD in Ontario

Health Canada says CBD and products containing CBD, such as cannabis oil, may only be sold by:

• a provincially or territorially authorized cannabis retailer, or
• a federally licensed seller of cannabis for medical purposes.

In Ontario, the province's buying recreational cannabis page says adults 19 and over can buy online through the Ontario Cannabis Store or in person from a privately run authorized retailer. Authorized stores are licensed by the AGCO. According to the AGCO's page on what customers can expect, you will see the provincial Cannabis Retail Store seal, the cannabis comes from the Ontario Cannabis Store, and it stays in federally required packaging. Our guide on how to tell if a dispensary is licensed shows how to check any store.

What about health food stores, cosmetics and pet products?

This is where most confusion comes from. Health Canada's CBD page explains:

• Natural health products and veterinary health products may only contain parts of the cannabis and hemp plants that are not considered cannabis under the Act. Deliberately adding phytocannabinoids to them is not permitted.
• The same restrictions apply to cosmetics, which may only contain hemp derivatives.

So a "CBD" product sold at a wellness shop, a market stall, a gas station or a general online store is not being sold through a legal channel. Hemp seed products are a different thing from CBD, and you should not assume they contain any.

For pets: the Cannabis Regulations' definition of a cannabis product excludes cannabis intended for an animal. Legal cannabis products, including CBD products, are made for adult humans. Talk to a veterinarian about your animal.

No health claims, by law

You will see CBD marketed online with all kinds of promises. In Canada, Health Canada says that a health product containing CBD that makes a health claim needs approval as a prescription drug under the Food and Drug Regulations.

Legal CBD products in a cannabis store are not sold with health claims, and our staff will not make them. If you are interested in CBD for a medical reason, talk to a healthcare provider.

Health Canada has consulted on a possible future pathway for health products containing CBD that would not need a prescription. That is a proposal, not a current rule. For now, the rules above apply.

What to look for on a CBD label

A legal CBD product carries the same federal label as any other cannabis product. Check:

1. Total CBD. The amount the product could yield, taking into account CBDA converting to CBD.
2. Total THC. Health Canada's consumer information page notes that CBD products can contain some amount of THC. Read this line every time.
3. The unit. mg/g for flower and vapes, mg per unit for capsules and edible pieces, mg per activation for oils with a dispenser, mg per package for drinks.
4. The standardized cannabis symbol. Health Canada's label guide says it is required on products with more than 10 micrograms of THC per gram.
5. The excise stamp. Health Canada says it shows the product came from a Health Canada licence holder.
6. The packaging date and storage conditions.

For a full walkthrough, see how to read an Ontario cannabis label.

Reading a THC to CBD ratio

CBD products are often described by a ratio, such as 1:20. That is simply the two label numbers compared in the same unit. A product with 5 mg/g Total THC and 100 mg/g Total CBD is 1:20. Check the ratio against the label, not just the menu name.

CBD formats you will find

CBD products come in more than one format. Our menu categories include oils and drops, edibles, beverages, vapes, pre-rolls and dried flower, and the quickest way to find CBD-forward products in any of them is to compare the Total CBD and Total THC figures on the live menu or ask staff what is in stock. Each format follows the rules for its class of cannabis, including the 10 mg THC limit per package for edibles and the 30 g possession and purchase limits, which CBD products count toward like any other cannabis.

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 and ask staff to compare Total CBD and Total THC across products. Every product shows a regular price and a lower member price. We are open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week (hours can change on holidays, so call ahead). 19+ with government photo ID. 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.