THE Canadian parliament has passed a bill to legalise the use of cannabis in a recreational capacity.
The bill was passed by 205 votes to 82 in the House of Commons.
The new legislation will make Canada the first G7 country to allow the use of cannabis.
Cannabis has been legal in a number of areas in Canada already, mostly for medicinal purposes, but this will grant full permission for the recreational use of the drug throughout the country.
Vancouver, where the use of cannabis is legal for medicinal use, has a large number of marijuana stores, largely due to its closeness in proximity to Washington, an American state in which cannabis has been legal for a number of years.
The vote will now move the legislation back to the country’s Senate, which had already approved a version of the bill.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the passing of the bill a priority when he was elected in 2015.
Speaking today, Trudeau said: “We have been talking about this since well before we formed government."
“We have been working with our partners across the country to make this happen and we are going to be moving forward this summer on the legalisation of cannabis.”
It has not yet been determined whether those who were convicted of charges relating to marijuana before the legalisation will receive amnesty, but it is understood that it is one of Trudeau's concerns.
