Canada's Senate passed legislation on October 19th that will make the country the first major economy to legalize recreational marijuana use.

The bill, which was approved by the House of Commons on Monday, goes next to the governor-general, the representative of Queen Elizabeth, as a formality. Once it is formally approved, the legislation is expected to create a multibillion dollar industry, with Canada joining Uruguay in allowing its citizens on a national level to use marijuana without fear of arrest.

"We've just witnessed a historic vote for Canada, the end of 90 years of prohibition," said Tony Dean, the senator who sponsored the bill in the chamber.

There remain significant concerns about the social and health effects of marijuana.

"Now we can start to tackle some of the harms of cannabis,'' Mr. Dean said. "We can start to be proactive in public education. We'll see the end of criminalization and we can start addressing Canada's $7 billion illegal market."