Montreal | Marijuana Travel Guide

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Mont-Royal, the large hill overlooking the city (of which it is the titular inspiration), is a destination and excursion all wrapped into one. Hiking up Mont-Royal is a classic Montréal activity, and once you make it to the top you’ll be treated to the iconic view of the city’s downtown. It’s also wise to wander a little bit if you’re in the neighbourhood: the nearby cemeteries are said to be some of the nicest walks in the city. And the other bonus: Mont-Royal is known to be a bit of a meeting point for Montréal’s cannabis community.

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Any trip to Montréal should really include checking out the cobblestone streets of Old Montréal. The city has an over-375 year history, and Old Montréal is where it all began. It’s often a bit tourist-y, though, and a classic traveller mis-step is to spend all your time there. That said, it’s definitely somewhere to check out at least once, if only because walking those streets is like being transported out of Canada and into a more European world.

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Chances are, if you’ve researched Montréal at all, you’ve probably seen Mile End. The eclectic neighbourhood, just north of Mont-Royal, is probably the most Instagrammed neighbourhood in the city — and with good reason. It’s one of Montréal’s most hip, diverse, and artistic neighbourhoods, with shops, cafes, and restaurants worth making the trip for.

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It is, generally speaking, a bad idea to drive in Montréal. For one thing, the rules are different (no rights on a red, for instance) and for another, people just seem to drive differently there. Plus, if you want to get stoned, driving is out of the question. The best way to get around Montréal, weather permitting, would be to rent a Bixi Bike. They are available at stands all across the city, at pretty affordable rates. Montréal is one of the best biking cities in the country, and take advantage of their extensive bike lane network.

Source: Olympic Park Instagram Page

Built for the 1976 Olympics held in Montréal, Olympic Park has evolved to become a major landmark in Montréal. The Montréal Tower, tilted to 45 degrees, is the world’s tallest inclined building, and offers a lookout on the entire city. In addition to that, there are guided tours of the Olympic Stadium — one of the iconic examples of modern Montréal architecture — and plenty of events taking place at the Park’s Esplanade.

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If you’re visiting Montréal in the spring time, and if you can get out of the city by car, it is worth driving into the Quebec countryside and finding a sugar shack — cabins that produce maple syrup from the surrounding forests, and which serve up that syrup with a hearty breakfast of eggs, meat, pancakes, and whatever else they feel like cooking up. There are many in the countryside, and which one you go to will depend on the time of year, the weather, and day of the week.

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Montréal has an unusual history when it comes to the underground. There’s now a large, sprawling underground mall for people to shop at. But the real attraction, especially for history buffs, is to see the city’s origins — the original forts unearthed by archeological digs — as well as the OG underground: the sewers. The Pointe-à-Callière Museum will give you an eduction on both, as well as allowing visitors to walk in one section of North America’s first collector sewer, built in the 19th century.

Source: SQDC Twitter Page

The Société québécoise du cannabis — better known as the SQDC — is the government-run retailer of cannabis in Montréal, and is the only legal place to buy your weed. There’s three locations, most of them accessible by Montréal’s great Metro. Since legalization, things have not run so smoothly for the SQDCs, as supply shortages have forced some to close temporarily throughout the week. But the stores have their charms nonetheless: they have a no-fuss set-up that looks like a pretty authentic transposition of the classic dispensary. Walk up to a counter, order, and they’ll pick it out for you. The government of Quebec has seemed apprehensive at best about cannabis more generally, but they’ve seemed to make a very simple formula work for them. Address: 3548 Boulevard des Forges, Trois-Rivières, QC G8Y 5H5, Canada

Source: PharmaCann Clinic Facebook Page

If none of the SQDC stores suit you, you might have a bit more luck trying to find one of the few unregulated dispensaries operating in the city. PharmaCann is one of them, but it sees itself more as a medical compassion club than an open-to-the-public dispensary. If you have a medical card, however, this might be the stop for you to grab some off-market bud. Located at 2000 Avenue McGill College, Suite 600. Address: 2000 McGill Collage Building Inc, 2000 McGill Collage Ave, Montreal, QC H3A 3H3, Canada

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This one might take a bit more work, but there are lots of weed delivery services in Montréal. Cannabis industry folks there have told me that it’s still often how they get their weed, but it takes a little bit of social tact and boldness, especially if you’re unfamiliar with ordering delivery. If you have any stoner friends in Montréal, they might be able to help, or you could do some creative web searching to find a phone number. Trust me, it’s not too hard!

Source: Beatnick Records Facebook Page

If you’re looking for a store to get lost in, doing so with music is a good choice. Located just west of Old Montréal, Beatnick Records is a record store that may as well be ripped straight from the old days. It has stacks upon stacks of records, a listening station, and a great selection of local artists. If you’re looking for somewhere to browse — or want to get a recommendation for a local show to see — Beatnick Records is a great stop.

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Head down to Montréal’s southwest corner to check out the Atwater Market, known for its butcher shops and cheesemongers. In the winter, it functions as an indoor market where you can go in to warm up, while in the summer it sheds its walls and features a patio, organized events and classes, and cooking workshops.

Source: Teatre Rialto Facebook Page

There’s always something going on at the Théâtre Rialto, with its burlesque-style cabaret interior. The Mile End venue has a basement venue if you’re looking for a hazy, party evening, while the upstairs is often home to an eclectic mix of comedy, music, and even live podcast tapings. If you’re in the mood for a night out, Théâtre Rialto might be your best bet.

Source: Mile End Kicks Facebook Page

Stoned sneakerheads will be in heaven at one of Mile End Kicks’ two locations. Open since 2009, the store is home to a wide range of brands, many of them harder-to-find brands from Europe and North America. Montréal is one of the most stylish cities in Canada, and if you want to stand out, a new pair of kicks is basically essential.

Source: St-Viateur Bagel Facebook Page

From a food standpoint, Montréal is a city that specializes in its unique dishes, cultural staples and local traditions. Arguably the most prominent of the Montréal specialities is the Montréal bagel. One half of the great New York-or-Montréal debate, the Montréal bagel is a dense, chewy, and delicious bagel, and St-Viateur is its home. Not to put too fine a point on it, but a Montréal bagel will change your entire perception of bagels. That’s really all there is to say about it; if you thought New York bagels were the only iconic bagel, think again.

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If having your mind blown by a bagel isn’t your speed, maybe trying a poutine — a classic French Canadian dish of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy that has become the iconic Canadian food — will be. It is, for Canadians, the platonic ideal of stoner food. There are countless places to get a poutine in Montréal, and the debate over which is the best will rage until the end of time, but La Banquise, with over 30 varieties of poutine, would be a good place to start.

Source: Schwartz's Deli Facebook Page

And then there’s the Montréal Smoked Meat sandwich. Like the Montréal bagel, Schwartz’s Deli owes its culinary heritage to the city’s Jewish population, and the Montréal Smoked Meat sandwich is another food that has expanded well beyond Montréal’s borders. Schwartz’s Deli is a cultural institution in Montréal’s food world, and while the precise origins of the sandwich are likely lost to history, Schwartz’s is known as the place to get one these days.

Source: Modavie Instagram Page

IF you’re in Old Montréal and looking for a night befitting of your European-esque surroundings, try Modavie, a wine bar that often features live jazz bands. Classic French and Quebecois cuisine and a rustic-yet-modern atmosphere, Modavie is a fantastic choice if you want to dress up and hit the town for a fancy date night