Canada Becomes Second Country in the World to Legalise Cannabis Nationwide

Cannabis use for recreational purposes in Canada will be legalised this autumn, Justin Trudeau has said.

The country’s parliament passed a law legalising the drug on Tuesday, which the prime minister said would shift the market for the drug away from organised crime and protect the nation’s youth.

According to t Independent Newspaper, Canada is only the second country in the world to make cannabis legal nationwide.

“The legislation is transformative,” said justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who said the move “marks a wholesale shift in how our country approaches cannabis, leaving behind a failed model of prohibition”.

The Cannabis Act passed its final hurdle by 52 votes to 29 in the Senate.

“It is our hope as of 17 October there will be a smooth operation of retail cannabis outlets operated by the provinces with an online mail delivery system operated by the provinces that will ensure that this happens in an orderly fashion,” Mr Trudeau said.

He added: “Over the following months and indeed years we will completely replace or almost completely replace the organised crime market on that.”

Uruguay became the first country to legalise cannabis in 2013, while a number of US states have also voted to permit recreational use of the drug.