The Canadian Senate on Tuesday gave the final passage to the Cannabis Act, a landmark bill legalizing the purchase and consumption of marijuana.

The bill passed its final hurdle in a 52-29 Senate vote. It is expected to come into force within eight to 12 weeks.

How will Canada's cannabis market work?

Under the Cannabis Act, or Bill C-45, Canadian adults will be able to:

Purchase cannabis and cannabis oil produced by licensed growers at various retail locations

Order marijuana, as well as plants and seeds, online from retailers licensed by the federal government

Grow up to four marijuana plants in their home for personal use

Carry up to 30 grams (1 ounce) of marijuana in public

However, they will not be allowed to buy edibles infused with marijuana for up to a year after the bill comes into force. The government intends to outline regulations for those products over the coming year.

'Good for kids, bad for criminals'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who pledged to push for legalization during his 2015 election campaign, tweeted minutes after the vote: "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 and regulate marijuana just passed the Senate."

"We've just witnessed a historic vote for Canada," Senator Tony Dean, who sponsored the Senate bill, told broadcaster CBC. "The end of 90 years of prohibition. Transformative social policy, I think. A brave move on the part of the government."

Read more: 5 facts about cannabis laws in Germany

Provinces given some leeway: Although the law applies nationwide, individual provinces will be allowed to make a handful of their own rules. For example, certain states have indicated they intend to set the legal age at 19. The standard legal age is 18. Quebec, Manitoba and Nunavut have also said they want to prohibit marijuana cultivation at home.

Following in Uruguay's footsteps: Tuesday's passage of Bill C-45 makes Canada only the world's second country to introduce a nationwide marijuana market, after Uruguay fully legalized the drug last year. The US has seen nine states legalize recreational cannabis use, while another 29 states allow medicinal use. However, Washington has so far refrained from introducing a nationwide legalization law.

Cannabis remains illegal in Germany, although laws concerning private consumption are relatively relaxed. Medical marijuana was legalized in March 2017.

Read more: Of hemp, smoke and mirrors

Legalization by September: Trudeau's government had initially said it hoped to legalize cannabis by July 1. That deadline was pushed back, however, after the Senate requested more time to review the bill. The delay also gives each province eight to 12 weeks to prepare for the upcoming retail sales. Nevertheless, the bill is expected to receive royal assent in order to formally become law by as early as Wednesday.

Mother Nature's drug lab Cannabis - smoke it or wear it The cannabis plant contains the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It makes people feel euphoric and relaxed and can also alleviate pain. The flowers of infertilized female plants contain particularly high amounts of THC, that's why they are taken for producing marihuana. Some cannabis species do not contain any THC at all and are grown for fiber production.

Mother Nature's drug lab Better than aspirin Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) produces - you guessed it - opium. To harvest it, you simply incise the capsules and let the white latex exude and dry. Opium contains high amounts of morphine, the strongest existing pain medication. A chemical variation of morphine provides the semi-synthetic drug heroin.

Mother Nature's drug lab Fancy a magic mushroom? Mushrooms are chemical artists - some of them even produce psychoactive substances. Among them: this grey-coloured Pluteus salicinus. It grows on wood and contains psilocybin, which causes visual and mental hallucinations similar to LSD. Side effects are nausea and panic attacks.

Mother Nature's drug lab Drug snack to go Leaves of the coca plant harbour chemical compounds similar to cocaine. They alleviate pain and act as stimulants. In many countries in Latin America, chewing on raw coca leaves is quite common. It helps tourists deal better with altitude sickness, too. By fermenting and drying the leaves and processing them chemically, cocaine is produced.

Mother Nature's drug lab Beautiful poisonous flowers Angel's trumpets are beautiful to look at but you should refrain from tasting them. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids - chemical compounds with strong effects on the human body. When you eat or smoke the plant, your heart rate will increase and you will start to hallucinate. As with all natural drugs, finding the right dosage is difficult. Deadly accidents occur quite often.

Mother Nature's drug lab Bummer with thornapple On the internet, poisonous Datura plants - also known as thornapples - are advertised as natural drugs as well. Really not a good idea: The plant induces strong hallucinations, sometimes with a complete loss of reality. People tend to hurt themselves severely under its influence.

Mother Nature's drug lab Hawaiian Babies Argyreia nervosa is native to Asia, even though the plant is called Hawaiian baby woodrose. The seeds of this climbing vine contain ergine, a compound similar to LSD. It causes colourful visions and euphoria but also nausea, prickling and psychoses. Overdosing can happen easily as one seed alone already has a strong effect.

Mother Nature's drug lab Ecstasy with cactus The peyote cactus in Mexico and Texas is full of mescaline, a hallucinogenic compound that is illegal under the international Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Mescaline alters thinking processes and one's sense of time and self-awareness. The cactus is cut into pieces and eaten or boiled into a tea. The cactus species is now listed on the Red List as vulnerable.

Mother Nature's drug lab Beware of nutmeg Nutmeg in high amounts can act as a drug, since it contains the hallucinogenic compound myristicin. But don't worry: you'll never reach the necessary dosage if you only use nutmeg as a spice. Getting high on nutmeg seems a bad idea anyway, as side effects include headaches, nausea and diarrhea.

Mother Nature's drug lab Psychedelic leaves? Yes, it's true: the evergreen kratom tree (Mitragyna speciosa), native to Southeast Asia, incorporates the opioid-like compound mitragynine into its leaves. In traditional medicine, the leaves are chewed to relieve pain, increase appetite and treat diarrhea. But they can also be used to mix drug cocktails.

Mother Nature's drug lab One of nature's most dangerous killers The tobacco plant produces poisonous and addictive chemicals, such as nicotine and other alkaloids, and harbours them inside its leaves. With this poisonous cocktail, the plant tries to ward off animals that might want to eat it. When the leaves are dried and smoked, the chemicals enter the human body - together with many cancerous substances generated by burning tabacco. Author: Brigitte Osterath



dm/se (AP, AFP, dpa)