Canada has legalised the recreational use of marijuana, with the Cannabis Act passing its final hurdle on Tuesday.
Senators voted to pass the federal government's bill by a vote of 52 to 29, paving the way for a legal cannabis market within eight to 12 weeks.
This timeframe will also allow industry and police forces to prepare for the new
Tony Dean, the senator who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said he was "feeling just great".
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"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," he said, according to CBC.
"Now we can start to tackle some of the harms of cannabis. We can start to be proactive in public education. We'll see the end of criminalisation and we can start addressing Canada's $7 billion illegal market. These are good things for Canada."
Canada is the first country in the G7 to legalise the drug's recreational use. Cannabis possession first became a crime in 1923, but medical use has been legal since 2001.
