Can you share or give away cannabis in Canada?

Short answer: yes, you can give cannabis to another adult, but there are a few hard lines you cannot cross.

Under the Cannabis Act, an adult can share or give up to 30 grams of legal cannabis (dried, or the equivalent in another form) to another adult. Passing a friend a joint, splitting an eighth, or bringing some to a get-together is legal, as long as everyone involved is an adult and you stay within that 30-gram limit.

What you can’t do matters just as much.

You can’t sell it

Sharing is free. The moment money changes hands, or you trade for something, it becomes a sale, and selling cannabis without a licence is a criminal offence. Casual “just cover me for it” arrangements can cross that line. If you want to sell cannabis legally, you have to be a licensed retailer.

You can’t give it to anyone underage

This is the big one. Giving or selling cannabis to someone under the legal age in your province is a serious criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of up to 14 years in prison. There is no “it was only a little” exception. Keep it away from anyone below the legal age, full stop.

You can’t mail it

You can hand cannabis to a friend in person, but you can’t legally mail or courier it, even within Canada. Shipping cannabis is restricted to licensed sellers, and personal mailings are illegal and can carry criminal penalties. So no posting a gift of cannabis to a friend in another city.

The 30-gram limit still applies

The amount you can share in public is tied to the 30-gram public-possession limit, measured in dried equivalent (an edible or a bit of concentrate counts differently from dried flower). You can’t wander around handing out unlimited amounts. If you’re not sure how a product counts, the possession calculator does the math.

What about homegrown?

If you grow your own where your province allows it, you can share what you grow with other adults under the same rules. You still can’t sell it, and you still can’t give any to someone underage.

The safe move

Between adults, in person, up to 30 grams, with no money involved: fine. Selling, mailing, or anything involving someone below the legal age: don’t. A useful rule of thumb is to treat cannabis like alcohol. Sharing with adult friends is normal, but selling it or handing it to kids is exactly where the law comes down hard.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources: Health Canada, The Cannabis Act: what you need to know · The Cannabis Act: The Facts · Cannabis Act (Department of Justice)