Canada legalizes recreational marijuana after bill is passed by the Senate - making it the second country in the world to have a nationwide cannabis market

  • Canada's Senate voted Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana nationally
  • The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 52-29 to end the 90-year prohibition
  • Canadians will have to wait at least a few months to legally buy marijuana 
  • Its 13 provinces will need about eight to 12 weeks to prepare for retail sales
  • The law makes Canada the second country, behind Uruguay, to have a nationwide, legal marijuana market

Canada's Senate has passed the federal government's bill to legalize recreational marijuana on a national level. 

The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 52-29 on Tuesday to end the 90-year prohibition, however Canadians will have to wait at least a few months to legally buy marijuana.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government had hoped to make cannabis legal by July 1, but its 13 provinces will need eight to 12 weeks following Senate passage and royal assent to prepare for retail sales.

The law makes Canada the second country to have a nationwide, legal marijuana market, after Uruguay.

Canada's Senate has voted to legalize recreational marijuana nationally in June. Pictured: Smoke rising during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally in Ottawa on April 20, 2018

Canada's Senate has voted to legalize recreational marijuana nationally. Smoke is pictured rising during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally in Ottawa on April 20, 2018

#PromiseKept: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to comment on the bill, which he pushed for for more than a year 

#PromiseKept: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to comment on the bill, which he pushed for for more than a year 

The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 52-29 on Tuesday to end the 90-year prohibition

The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 52-29 on Tuesday to end the 90-year prohibition

Mr Trudeau's Cabinet is expected to decide a legalisation date in early or mid-September.

Each province in Canada is now coming up with rules for the sale of recreational marijuana. 

Independent Senator Tony Dean, who sponsored the bill in the upper house, said: 'We have seen in the Senate tonight a historic vote that ends 90 years of prohibition of cannabis in this country, 90 years of needless criminalization, 90 years of a just-say-no approach to drugs that hasn't worked.'

Canada is the largest developed country to end a nationwide prohibition on marijuana use.

In the neighboring US, nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana. 

California, home to one in eight Americans, launched the United States' biggest legal marijuana marketplace on January 1.

The Canadian government largely followed the advice of a marijuana task force headed by former Liberal Health Minister Anne McLellan as well as the advice of former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair, who is the parliamentary secretary to the justice minister.

The task force recommended adults be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of marijuana and grow up to four plants. It also said marijuana should not be sold in the same location as alcohol or tobacco.

Sen. Peter Harder, Government Representative in the Senate, speaks to reporters after the vote on Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act in the Senate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario
Conservative Sen. Claude Carignan leaves the Senate Chamber after the vote on Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, in the Senate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Tuesday

Conservative Sen. Claude Carignan (right) leaves the Senate Chamber after the vote on Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, while Senator Peter Harder (left) speaks to reporters

Canadians will have to wait at least a few months to legally buy marijuana while the 13 provinces prepare for retail sales 

Canadians will have to wait at least a few months to legally buy marijuana while the 13 provinces prepare for retail sales 

The most controversial aspect of Canada's move to legalize marijuana nationwide has been setting the minimum age for use at 18 or 19, depending on the province. 

Those ages are lower than in US states that have embraced legalization.

Advocates argued that putting the limit at 21 would encourage a black market and drive youths into the hands of criminals. 

'I'm feeling just great,' said Senator Tony Dean, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. 'We've just witnessed a historic vote for Canada. The end of 90 years of prohibition. Transformative social policy, I think. A brave move on the part of the government.' 

'Now we can start to tackle some of the harms of cannabis. We can start to be proactive in public education,' he added. 

'We'll see the end of criminalization and we can start addressing Canada's $7-billion illegal market. These are good things for Canada.'

Senator Tony Dean sponsored the bill and said he is 'feeling just great' to the end of the 90-year prohibition 

Senator Tony Dean sponsored the bill and said he is 'feeling just great' to the end of the 90-year prohibition 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: 'It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana - and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate. #PromiseKept'

However, some health experts have worried that the lower age will encourage use of a substance that can have long-term consequences on still-maturing brains.

Conservative senators remained staunchly opposed to legalization.

'We're going to have all those involved in illegal marijuana peddling right now becoming large corporation,' Conservative Senator Leo Housakos said.

'When you normalize the use of marijuana and you're a young person and you had certain reservations because of the simple fact that it was illegal, there's, I believe, a propensity to have somebody be more inclined to use it.'

Senator Tony Dean, who sponsored Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, speaks to reporters after the vote on the bill in the Senate foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario

Senator Tony Dean, who sponsored Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, speaks to reporters after the vote on the bill in the Senate foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario