The Canadian Senate passed a bill Tuesday evening to legalize cannabis, paving the way for a fully legal cannabis market within 8-12 weeks.
Bill C-45 was passed by a vote of 52 to 29, with two abstentions. It still needs the royal assent of the governor general, before the government decides on the date when the legislation will come into force.
To legalize cannabis was a campaign promise of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party.
The newly-passed bill will allow adults in the country to legally possess and use small amounts of recreational cannabis. It sets out parameters around the production, safety standards, distribution, and sale of the drug.
It also creates new Criminal Code offences for selling cannabis to minors. The proposed federal law stipulates that it will be illegal for anyone younger than 18 to buy pot, but allows for provinces and territories to set a higher minimum age.
The bill represented a "historic milestone for progressive policy in Canada," Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould tweeted.
