1. What are the laws concerning marijuana in my city or province?

» In Canada, the criminal law is under the jurisdiction of the federal government – which (technically) means that drug laws are uniform across the country. In particular, marijuana is classified as an illegal drug through its inclusion in Schedule II of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.  Possession (section 4), trafficking (section 5), importing/exporting (section 6), and production (section 7) are all covered by the CDSA.

» Of course, enforcement of the Criminal Code is subject to the discretion of local police and judges. Given the number of legal challenges made against the prohibition in the past decade, along with overwhelming public support for recreational use, marijuana smoking has been largely tolerated by the police and the courts. Nonetheless, the prohibition is still legally binding and, should they choose to, police officers may enforce the law. 

2. If I’ve been charged with a marijuana related offense, can NORML Canada help me out?

» We are in the process of developing a legal support network across the country. In the meantime, we simply do not have the resources to accommodate each individual request. As an alternative, we recommend that, once you have secured a lawyer, you request that s/he contact NORML Canada on your behalf.

3. If I become a member of NORML Canada, is my personal information kept private?

» Although the social stigma concerning marijuana has decreased substantially over the past few decades, NORML Canada appreciates that not everyone wants to be publicly affiliated with an anti-prohibitionist position. As such, we take the privacy of our membership information very seriously.

4. If I become a NORML Canada member or make a donation, am I eligible for a tax deduction?

» No – since we aren’t registered as a charity organization.

5. How do I become a NORML Canada staff member? How do I obtain a norml.ca email address?

» Norml.ca email addresses are reserved for directors and staff members at NORML Canada. Although we will post calls for applications to fill vacant positions from time to time, the best way to initially get involved in the organization is to become a member and/or to volunteer.