What you asked about marijuana legalization in Ontario — and what we still don't know

Cannabis is now legal but there are a lot of questions left about how it is going to work here in Ontario.

• Legal cannabis is here, it's time to answer some burning questions

Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions you've sent us about cannabis — and a few questions that remain.

Where do I buy it?

This was by far the most popular question and it's got an easy answer — the only place you can legally buy recreational weed in Ontario is online through the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS). 

Sales started at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Ontario and Nunavut are the only places in Canada that won't have physical stores for cannabis sales as of legalization. But that will change. Privately-owned storefronts are expected by next April, but we don't know exactly who will be selling yet.

When will my order come?

"If people order at 12:01 a.m., they will likely receive on October 18."

That's the estimate from Daffyd Roderick, communications director with the OCS. He predicts a wait time of one to three days for online sale delivery.

That could be foiled should Canada Post workers decide to begin rotating strikes next week. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said it has given strike notice.

Can I smoke it on legalization day?

Given the delay in online delivery, there will be no way to obtain and smoke legally purchased recreational weed on Wednesday in Ontario.

But it'll be tricky to enforce. 

"[If] we see somebody outside smoking, can we force them to prove where they purchased it from? No, we can't necessarily demand it," said Sgt. Paul Neumann of the Shelburne Police Service. "If they cooperate, that's great but that comes down to each individual circumstance." 

Neumann said his force will focus on educating the public about the new rules, rather than cracking down on them.

Where can I smoke it?

Under the province's proposed legislation — as of Tuesday evening, the PC's adjusted pot bill has yet to pass — you will be allowed to smoke or vape in:

• Private residences
• Most outdoor public places
• Certain areas at hospices, retirement homes, long-term care homes
• Certain rooms at hotels, motels, inns
• Certain research facilities 
• Certain residential vehicles and boats 

That said, the rules may be more strict in different parts of the province thanks to municipal bylaws or certain leases.

What are my rights in terms of second-hand pot smoke at home?

It depends on a case-by-case basis. Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations, said it's going to be a "massive issue."

"Someone that's just smoking because they feel like it and is bothering another tenant, the clear answer there is that person's going to have to stop," he said.

But when it comes to those smoking medicinal cannabis, Dent said it's allowed but the tenant has to work with the landlord to make sure they are doing it in a way that isn't bothering other tenants.

"It's a difficult scenario but one that a landlord's got to navigate."

What do we call it?

Is it cannabis, pot, marijuana or weed?

The industry is really trying to push the term cannabis — it is what the government calls the drug and it is in the name of the Ontario Cannabis Store. And it looks like it is catching on based on what users are searching on Google.

Over the past few days, searches for "cannabis" have topped searches for "pot". Searches for "marijuana" fall well below that.

It's a different story on Twitter. The top search term in Canada is still "weed", which is used 1.3 times more than "pot" and 1.5 more times than "cannabis."

What are we searching Google for?

According to a list of the top searches on weed from Canadian Google users since the start of October, a lot of people want to know when they can buy it.

The most popular question was "When is weed legal in Canada?", followed by "Is weed legal in Canada?"

Rounding out the top 10 were variations of when, where and how weed can be bought in various provinces.