Buying Cannabis Online

April 12, 2021

Transcript/Captions

An increasing number of Canadians are shopping online, including cannabis products. But are they being purchased from a legal cannabis source?

Following legalization, obtaining cannabis from an illegal source had declined, but there are still illegal shops lurking online.

Legal cannabis products are only sold through online retailers who are authorized by your province or territorial government. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Look for an excise stamp on the package. The stamp guarantees the product was produced by a federally authorized licensed producer. This ensures the highest health and safety standards, has accurate THC levels and is free from other harmful substances.

However, each province and territory has a different coloured stamp.

Cannabis products containing more than 0.3% THC will also feature the standardized cannabis logo,  have information on risks associated with use, and mandatory health warning messages, such as, “do not drive or operate heavy equipment after using cannabis”.

Beware of websites that are asking for e-transfer or cryptocurrency payments, and have a look at their email address. If it is generic and not business-like, that is a red flag. Also, if the website states that they ship anywhere in Canada, that is an illegal vendor and your shipment may be seized.

So, before you make a purchase, do your research. This ensures you only buy legal cannabis products, keeping you and your financial information safe and the profits out of the hands of criminals and organized crime.

For more information, visit Canada.ca/cannabis.

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