OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Quebec has passed a Bill raising the legal age to consume cannabis from 18 to 21, making it the state with strictest cannabis law in Canada.
The Bill 2 was passed by a 64-43 vote in the National Assembly Tuesday.
Carmant, who tabled the bill, told reporters that the legislation is aimed to protect young, developing brains from risks linked to the use of cannabis.
Currently, the legal lower age limit for cannabis consumption in most Canadian provinces is 19, except in Alberta and Quebec.
The new law will come into effect on January 1, after giving consumers and state-run cannabis stores time to adjust to the new system, Junior Health Minister Lionel Carmant said in a news conference.
However, a ban on consumption of the drug in public will be enforced on November 2 after the lieutenant-governor of the province signs the bill.
Critics say the move to raise the legal age to use marijuana will only help the black market thrive.
Two thirds of Quebec's population support increasing the legal age to 21, according to Carmant.
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