Flying High: Canada to Allow Cannabis on Domestic Airlines

Canadians will be allowed to travel with 30 grams of marijuana on domestic flights, the Transport Ministry said.

Domestic flyers on Canadian airlines will legally be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis, a statement from the Transport Ministry said Thursday.

“After October 17, 2018, passengers will be permitted to have a legal amount of cannabis, which is 30 grams, in either their carry on or checked bag, if they are flying to a domestic destination (i.e. within Canada)," said the spokesperson for Transport Minister Marc Garneau, Delphine Denis.

However, passengers were reminded that while on international flights to the United States, traveling with cannabis is still prohibited.

Canadian Air Transport Safety Authority (CATSA) spokesperson Christine Langlois said, “We have been working with Transport Canada since the government passed the cannabis legislation to ensure our protocols are consistent with government policy.”

Per a recent incident with Air Canada, state officials cautioned travellers to refrain from smoking their cannabis while in flight, as it still remains a high safety risk.

As of October 17, the sale of recreational marijuana will be legal in Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in June after a 52-29 vote supporting the motion passed the Senate.

Trudeau's Liberals had made legalizing recreational use of marijuana part of their successful 2015 election campaign, arguing the new law would keep marijuana out of the hands of underage users and reduce related crime.

Canada will be the second country in the world to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, following Uruguay.

As the first major economy to fully legalize cannabis, Canada's regulatory rollout will be closely watched by other nations considering the same path - and by global investors, who have already poured billions into Canadian marijuana firms.