Canada will officially became the second country in the world to legalize marijuana as of October 17th, 2018.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement on Wednesday, June 20th. Of course, each province and territory will have the ability to set regulations for the substance, and what processes will be involved in doing so.

The bill was passed on Tuesday evening, winning by a vote of 52 to 29 with two abstentions.

The move comes after an arduous, grassroots movement to get the plant decriminalized. Back in 2017, the first act to legalize the recreational use of weed was introduced.

Now, the country becomes the first G7 country to legalize cannabis; the only other country that has done so is Uruguay.

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Canada Legalizes Marijuana

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 — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2018

Known as the Cannabis Act, Bill C-45 was introduced into legislation in order to reduce crime in Canada. Trudeau felt that underage youth were accessing the substance and it was therefore a major issue.

Gangs were also making lucrative gains from the drug, which was a major concern. Further, unregulated cannabis is often laced with other, more dangerous street drugs.

Earlier this year, Canada’s largest pharmacy chain, Shoppers Drug Mart, formally applied to produce and distribute medical marijuana. In February, they signed a deal with Aurora Cannabis to supply the substance.