Storing cannabis safely around children and pets
Last reviewed · Based on official government sources
Cannabis products, especially edibles, can look like ordinary food. Health Canada says safe storage helps keep everyone safe, especially children and pets, and that accidental poisonings in children from edible cannabis are a serious risk. If you have cannabis at home, storing it properly is one of the most important things you can do. Some provinces also make it a legal requirement.
Health Canada’s storage advice
Health Canada’s advice for adults who have cannabis at home includes:
- storing it locked up, out of sight and out of reach of children and pets, for example in a lockbox;
- keeping it in its original child-resistant packaging;
- keeping cannabis, and edibles especially, separate from ordinary food and drinks;
- clearly labelling any edible cannabis made at home so no one mistakes it for regular food;
- using a secure cupboard with a strong childproof lock or latch;
- never leaving cannabis unattended where children can reach it.
Every legal cannabis label must also say “KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.” Child-resistant packaging helps, but only if it is closed properly and kept out of reach.
Storage rules set by law
In some provinces, safe storage is the law, not just advice:
- New Brunswick: the Cannabis Control Act says cannabis in a private dwelling must be stored in a secure space that is inaccessible to anyone under 19.
- Prince Edward Island: cannabis must be kept in a location that is not accessible to anyone under 19 who lives in the home.
- Manitoba: home-grown plants must be grown indoors and inaccessible to young people.
Check your own province’s rules. Even where storage is not specifically regulated, giving cannabis to a minor, or making it available to them, can be an offence.
Growing at home
If you grow cannabis where it is allowed, keep plants and harvested cannabis secured from children and pets. Newfoundland and Labrador requires plants to be grown indoors or in a secure adjacent building, and Manitoba requires them to be indoors and out of reach of young people. See legal age and possession limits for home-growing rules by province.
Pets
The same storage steps protect pets. Keep products, leftovers and plant material where animals cannot get to them, including in bags and on low tables. The City of Edmonton also reminds residents not to litter cannabis, because it can cause severe illness in children and pets. If you think your pet has eaten cannabis, contact a veterinarian right away.
If a child may have eaten cannabis
Act right away. Health Canada warns that accidental poisonings in children from edible cannabis are a serious risk.
- In an emergency, such as trouble breathing or loss of consciousness, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number.
- Otherwise, contact a poison centre: 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669), or 1-800-463-5060 in Quebec.
Have the product package with you when you call if you can, so you can say what was eaten and how much.
When you have guests or are a guest
Visitors can bring risks with them. If guests might bring cannabis into a home with children, it is reasonable to ask them to keep it locked away too. If you are staying somewhere with children, such as a relative’s home or a shared rental, keep your cannabis locked up and out of sight and reach, just as you would at home.
A quick safe storage checklist
- Locked away, in a lockbox, safe or a cupboard with a childproof lock or latch.
- Out of sight and out of reach of children and pets.
- In its original child-resistant packaging, closed properly.
- Stored separately from regular food and drinks, especially edibles.
- Homemade edibles clearly labelled as containing cannabis.
- Never left unattended where children can reach it.
- Poison centre number saved in your phone: 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669), or 1-800-463-5060 in Quebec.
Frequently asked questions
- How should I store cannabis at home with kids?
- Health Canada advises keeping cannabis locked up, out of sight and out of reach, in its original child-resistant packaging and away from food. Some provinces, such as New Brunswick and PEI, require it to be stored where people under 19 cannot get to it.
- What do I do if my child eats a cannabis edible?
- In an emergency, such as trouble breathing or loss of consciousness, call 9-1-1. Otherwise contact a poison centre at 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669), or 1-800-463-5060 in Quebec.
- Should cannabis edibles be stored with other food?
- No. Health Canada advises always storing edible cannabis separately from regular food and drinks, and clearly labelling homemade edibles so they are not mistaken for regular food.
Sources
Facts in this guide were taken from these official sources, checked October 25, 2026.
- Health Canada: Safe storage of cannabis
- Government of Canada: Reduce your risk, choose legal cannabis
- Health Canada: Growing cannabis at home safely
- New Brunswick: Cannabis Control Act (SNB 2018, c.2)
- Government of PEI: Using cannabis on PEI
- Government of Manitoba: You can grow cannabis at home
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Cannabis FAQ
- City of Edmonton: Edmonton's cannabis rules
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