Québec City Captivates

For cannabis enthusiasts who love the look and feel of Europe, but don’t want to go all the way there, cannabis-friendly Québec City, Canada, is absolutely captivating especially during August’s vibrant events and outdoor festivals. Plus, the relaxed attitude towards cannabis in Québec City is as refreshing as this walled fortress town’s stunning views of the Saint Lawrence River.

In summer, Québec City is best known for its outdoor festivals, its bodacious gastronomy and its plentiful recreational activities (such as cycling, sailing, canoeing, hiking, whitewater rafting and even soaking at hot mineral day spas).

Called a Canadian “signature experience,” Québec City’s New France Festival (Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France) is definitely extraordinary. The New France Festival makes visitors feel like they have gone back in time as the city’s cobblestoned Old or Lower Town comes to life as if during the colonial era. Locals (and paid actors) dress in period fashions for a colonial-themed food market, games, music and a daily costume parade.

Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec calls it “six soirées flamboyantes.” That’s roughly translated to six flamingly flamboyant evenings (August 2, 9, 12, 16, 19, 25) of competitive international pyrotechnics. Each night has a different theme (disco, country, classic, hip-hop, Latin), and there’s literally a long list of ways to enjoy summer’s most beautiful “festival” from standing on just the right romantic street corner to sitting at an observatory with a panoramic view.

At the end of the month, from August 31 to September 3, the city revs up again and then relaxes for The Bordeaux Wine Festival (Bordeaux Fête Le Vin à Québec). QC’s Bordeaux Wine Festival attracts wine connoisseurs to participate in tastings of Quebec’s regional delicacies and wines along with attending workshops and other food-and-wine activities.

Ready for some of the best scenery, nature, food, wine, cannabis and club scenes in North America? Quebec City marries the best of the past with the best of today when it comes to cannabis-friendly travel.

Fun-Filled Facts

—Summer’s sunshine and warmth make Québec City’s historic Terrasse Dufferin the perfect place to take a stroll, jog, cycle or do yoga at sunrise.

—Want to experience a little bit of Paris while in Québec City? Head to Café du Monde. This waterfront eatery has been serving Parisian-style bistro fare (think steak frites à la Béarnaise and a brunch dish of poached eggs swimming in hollandaise) to cruise passengers for decades.

—Combine hospitality with history by staying at Auberge Saint-Antoine. This strikingly beautiful boutique hotel was built atop a treasure trove of colonial artifacts and each of its comfortably chic rooms houses at least one ancient relic.

If You Go

In Canada—including the province of Québec —cannabis is only legal for medical cannabis patients who have visited their healthcare doctor and obtained a referral to a “licensed commercial producer.” In Québec, medical cannabis is only available via delivery. As for Americans, Quebecois medical cannabis delivery services confirm they do accept valid “licenses” from medical cannabis states for purchasing flowers, oil and edibles. And while it seems the Québecois are quite cool when it comes to smoking cannabis, be safe and do not light up around the cops, government buildings, designer shops and family parks. If you don’t want to go the delivery route, then consider making some new cannabis-loving friends (who can now legally grow their own) at a hipster club in the trendy Saint-Roch district.

Time to Go: August

Weather: Highs 70s, lows 50s

Budget: $$$$$ (3/5 dollar signs)