Editor’s note: The provincial government passed Bill 36 Wednesday evening, and that expands where people can legally smoke marijuana in Ontario, mere hours after it became legal to light up in Canada.
It’s now legal to light up a joint in Canada, including here in Chatham-Kent; legal for anyone aged 19 and older, that is, and in specific places.
According to Chatham-Kent police, adults are now be permitted to purchase, use, and/or possess a maximum of 30 grams, and grow cannabis for non-medical purposes.
Recreational cannabis users will be allowed to grow four cannabis plants per residence. However, landlords will be able to prohibit the growing of cannabis on their property.
Smoking of cannabis in vehicles or boats while being operated is prohibited. Driving, while impaired by a drug, remains illegal.
Chatham-Kent Public Health officials hope to clear up any potential confusion about where it’s legal to spark that joint.
You can’t light a joint or vape a hit of pot on restaurant patios; enclosed public places and workplaces; schools, cars; hospital properties; municipally owned and operated beaches, parks, playgrounds, sports fields/complexes, housing services properties and other locations open to the public; recreational facilities; and multi-unit dwellings with smoke-free policies.
Where you can toke/vape is at privately owned residences; some outdoor public places (sidewalks); research and testing sites; designated hotel rooms; and outdoors on private property.
The health unit said several areas are under review, including designated smoking areas at municipal events; long-term care homes; rental properties without smoke-free policies (which are up to individual landlord/owner).
For more information about the legal use of cannabis in where you live, work and play, contact the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit at 519-352-7270 or get the dope on dope on their website at www.CKPublicHealth.com/cannabis-CK.
