Is Codeine legal in Canada?
- Legal status
- Low-dose 'exempted' codeine combinations (up to 8 mg/tablet or 20 mg/30 mL with at least two non-narcotic ingredients, e.g. Tylenol No. 1, 222s) are sold behind the pharmacy counter without a prescription in most provinces; Manitoba has required a prescription since 2016, and Tylenol No. 2/No. 3 are prescription-only. Codeine is a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession of non-exempt codeine without authorisation is a criminal offence under the CDSA; trafficking carries up to life.
- If prescribed or medical
- Exempted low-dose combinations are sold pharmacist-supervised (except Manitoba, which requires a prescription); higher strengths are prescribed.
- Documentation
- Import a personal supply (the lesser of a single course of treatment or a 90-day supply) with a prescription, declared, in the original labelled container; OTC availability is province-dependent.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Canada’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →