Recreational users will be able to buy the drug from shops in about three months

The scent of marijuana may be wafting legally through the air in Canada by the end of summer as parliament is poised to approve recreational use of the drug.

Legislation was passed last night, 56 votes to 30 in the senate, to pave the way for cannabis shops to open within three months, according to Justin Trudeau, the prime minister. The law would allow Canadians aged 18 or over to buy limited amounts of the drug, although provinces could set their own higher age restrictions, and users could carry up to 30 grams without penalty.

The Cannabis Act must first be brought back to the House of Commons, which passed the bill in November 2017 but needs to sign off on changes made by the