Cannabis and home insurance
The law legalizing cannabis in Canada1 brought about significant changes in recent years, since a substance that was illicit is now legal.
But how does this affect your home insurance?
Cannabis and insurance: like anything else in your home
With respect to your home insurance, cannabis grown legally or purchased in a branch of the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) is considered to be like anything else that you own in your home. Therefore, you could be compensated in case of loss (theft, fire, water damage, etc.), depending on the protections included in your contract.
Since Québec's law2 allows a maximum of 150 grams of dried cannabis (or its equivalent) per private residence, you can claim at most an amount equivalent to this quantity.
Also, keep in mind that, in the event of a loss, as in the case of other property, the insured person must provide evidence (by means of receipts or invoices) of the property he owned before the loss. The same will apply to your legally grown or purchased cannabis supply.
Smoke cannabis regularly? Let your insurance company know
If you regularly smoke in your home – whether tobacco or cannabis – your insurance provider may view this as something that increases the risk of fire. For this reason, if you regularly smoke cannabis, you should let your insurance company know.
You should also let your insurance company know if you are growing cannabis for medical purposes.
Use of cannabis in accordance with the law
Your home insurance policy has an exclusion clause for any good deemed illegal. This is why it is important to comply with Québec's Cannabis Regulation Act concerning the purchase, possession and use of cannabis. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations might jeopardize your compensation in the event of a loss.
What about auto insurance?
Find out in our other article:
Cannabis and auto insurance
1 Cannabis Act (S.C. 2018, c. 16)
2 Cannabis Regulation Act, CQLR, c C-5.3
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