Canada’s Federal Nicotine Cap, What the 20 mg/mL Limit Actually Covers

Canada caps nicotine in vaping products at 20 mg/mL. That limit has not moved since it came into force in July 2021, and Health Canada has not proposed changing it.

Most people already know the number. What trips them up is the scope. The cap controls how strong a vaping substance can be. It says nothing about how much liquid a device holds, so a 20 mg/mL disposable with a large tank still contains far more nicotine in total than a small one at the same strength.

Here is what the rule covers, what it leaves alone, and how to tell whether a product on a shelf is legal.

What the Cap Is

The rule sits in the Nicotine Concentration in Vaping Products Regulations, made under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. Registered as SOR/2021-123 and published in Canada Gazette, Part II on 23 June 2021, it took effect on 8 July 2021. Retailers had a short window after that to clear packaging that no longer met the rules.

Two things are prohibited.

• A vaping product must not contain nicotine above 20 mg/mL, measured with a set laboratory method
• A product must not be packaged or sold showing a nicotine concentration statement above 20 mg/mL

The second point catches products that test under the limit but carry old labelling. Both count as breaches.

Before July 2021, the ceiling was much higher. Health Canada puts the old range at zero to over 60 mg/mL. The separate packaging regulations set a hard stop at 66 mg/mL, and that figure still applies to products made in Canada for export only.

One exemption exists. The cap does not apply to a vaping product authorised for sale under the Food and Drugs Act. No such authorisation has been granted.

What the Cap Does Not Cover

This is where most confusion sits.

Volume. The rule limits concentration, not quantity. A pod holding 20 mL of liquid at 20 mg/mL contains ten times the nicotine of a 2 mL pod at the same strength. Both are legal federally. Quebec is the exception and sets its own limits on container capacity.

Puff counts. Nothing in the regulation addresses how many puffs a device delivers. High puff-count disposables comply as long as the substance inside sits at or under 20 mg/mL.

Nicotine-free products. Zero nicotine products fall outside the cap entirely, though other rules still apply to them. British Columbia goes further and prohibits nicotine-free vaping products outright.

How much nicotine reaches you. Concentration is a measure of the liquid, not of delivery. Device power, coil design and how a person uses the product all affect intake. Two products labelled 20 mg/mL will not behave identically.

Nicotine pouches. These are a different category. A federal ministerial order from August 2024 moved certain nicotine pouches behind the pharmacy counter. The vaping cap does not govern them.

Vaping products contain nicotine, and nicotine is highly addictive. None of the above changes that.

Why Health Canada Set the Limit

The department’s stated reason was youth vaping.

In 2018, a new generation of high-strength nicotine salt products entered the Canadian market. Health Canada’s own regulatory analysis records that products above 20 mg/mL took 62 per cent of the domestic market by value of nicotine-containing vaping substances by 2019. Survey data cited in the same analysis found 45 per cent of youth who vaped reported using products at or above 20 mg/mL, against 33 per cent of older adults.

The 20 mg/mL figure was not invented for Canada. It matches the European Union limit, and British Columbia and Nova Scotia had already adopted it provincially.

Industry pushed back during the 2020 consultation. Vaping trade bodies argued the limit was too low for some people who smoke heavily and would send them to unregulated suppliers. Health groups argued for the limit or for something stricter, with some submissions calling for 36 mg/mL and others for removing nicotine altogether. Health Canada landed on 20.

Health Canada has not approved any vaping product under the Food and Drugs Act as a quit smoking aid.

How to Tell if a Product is Compliant

Non-compliant stock is still circulating, and the numbers are not small.

Health Canada’s compliance and enforcement report for April 2024 to March 2025 covers inspections at 546 specialty vaping businesses. Inspectors found 43 per cent were non-compliant with federal law, and seized products at 235 of them. A nicotine concentration statement above 20 mg/mL was among the most common problems found, alongside prohibited flavour promotion, testimonials and endorsements, and packaging that failed the health warning rules.

At gas stations and convenience stores, the picture was different. Of 2,136 stores where vaping products were inspected, fewer than 1 per cent were non-compliant.

Four things to check on any product before you buy.

1. The packaging states a nicotine concentration, and that figure is 20 mg/mL or lower
2. The required Health Canada warning is present
3. The packaging carries an ingredient list in English and French
4. The retailer will tell you where the product came from

A label showing 30 mg/mL, 50 mg/mL or 5 per cent nicotine is not legal for sale in Canada. If you see one, that is a compliance problem, not a bargain.

Everything in our salt nicotine range, vape juice, disposables and pods sits at or below the federal limit. Contact the team if you want the concentration on a specific product before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum nicotine strength allowed in Canada?

20 mg/mL. The limit applies to every format, including bottled e-liquid, pre-filled pods and disposables. It has been in force since 8 July 2021.

Has the nicotine cap changed since 2021?

No. The limit remains 20 mg/mL, and Health Canada has not announced any proposal to change it.

Does the cap apply to the whole device or just the liquid?

It applies to the concentration of the vaping substance. A device holding more liquid contains more nicotine in total, even at the same concentration, and that is still legal under federal law.

Can I legally buy stronger nicotine from outside Canada?

No retailer operating legally in Canada can sell above 20 mg/mL. Products imported for sale here are subject to the same limit.

Does the cap apply to nicotine-free vapes?

No. Products with no nicotine sit outside these regulations, though other federal rules still apply. British Columbia prohibits nicotine-free vaping products separately.

What happens to a shop selling over the limit?

Health Canada inspectors can seize stock and issue enforcement action. The department publishes the results, naming individual businesses and the breaches found.

The Short Version

The federal nicotine cap is 20 mg/mL, it has been stable for five years, and no change is on the table. The number on the label tells you the strength of the liquid and nothing about the size of the device or how much nicotine a person takes in.

Majestic Vapes is an Ontario speciality vape shop with stores in Brampton and Mississauga. Everything we stock meets the federal limit. Ontario customers can order through our Ontario store.

Vaping products contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive. Health Canada.