Is it possible to buy medical marijuana in Canada as a tourist?

Question

There is a lot of talk recently about marijuana legalization in Canada and some people have mentioned that it's already pretty much legal in many cities. E.g. the Vancouver Sun reports that:

“Although I strongly believe in medical access, I believe everybody should have access to cannabis,” Larsen said. “I’ve always thought the medical user should be at the front of the line.”

He said society members with medical needs will get discounts and special services. Other users will simply require ID and proof of legal age.

This raises the following questions:

1. Is it possible to buy medical marijuana from an official dispensary in Canada as a tourist?
2. Are any documents needed except an ID?
3. Is this limited to certain cities or can you buy it anywhere?
4. Is it legal for tourists to do so?

Assume that the person in question has a genuine medical need, but simply happens to lack the proper documentation from their doctor.

Answer 1

I've emailed a Vancouver dispensary with the same question and received the following reply:

Hi,

Thank you for your enquiry.

I am happy to confirm we accept all valid IDs :) eg Passport, drivers license.. It does not have to be a Canadian ID.

If you are calling into one of our store locations at either Hastings or Thurlow and are over the age of 19, then you can purchase there and then upon producing a valid government issued ID (2 pieces if you are under 25)

So to answer my own questions...

Is it possible to buy medical marijuana from an official dispensary in Canada as a tourist?

Yes, it is definitely possible. Being a tourist or a local is irrelevant.

Are any documents needed except an ID?

No, just a government-issued ID and being over the age of 19. If under the age of 25 it's good to have two pieces of ID.

Is this limited to certain cities or can you buy it anywhere?

It depends on how tolerant a particular city is towards cannabis. The best strategy is to google for [city name] + [dispensary] before arriving.

Is it legal for tourists to do so?

Yes, it is legal as of October 2018. Both medical and recreational marijuana are now legal.

Answer 2

As Vancouver Sun says, there are now at least two dispensaries in Vancouver which will deal. It's technically illegal. Noone is interested in fining or jailing your regular pothead, though. If there is little interest in chasing this practice today, imagine how much will be in the little time left before it becomes legal on 2018 July 1. All sorts of authorities are much more worried about the fentanyl crisis.