The Canadian parliament has passed a bill to legalise recreational cannabis, making Canada just the second country in the world to make marijuana legal nationwide.

However, Canadians will still have to wait at least a couple of months to legally buy cannabis.

The government had hoped to make pot legal by July 1 but provincial and territorial governments said they would need eight to 12 weeks to prepare for retail sales.

The date for legalising is now expected to be early or mid-September. A spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they were in no rush.

“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 legalise & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate,” Mr Trudeau tweeted.

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 & regulate marijuana just passed the Senate. #PromiseKept

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2018

Canada is following the lead of Uruguay in allowing a nationwide, legal marijuana market, although each Canadian province will have its own rules. The federal government and the provinces also still need to publish regulations that will govern cannabis trade.

Across the border in the US, nine states and the District of Columbia have also legalised marijuana. California, home to one in eight Americans, launched the US’s biggest legal marijuana marketplace on January 1.

The Canadian government largely followed the advice of a marijuana task force headed by former Liberal health minister Anne McLellan, as well as the advice of former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, who is the parliamentary secretary to the justice minister.

The task force recommended adults be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of pot and grow up to four plants. It also said marijuana should not be sold in the same location as alcohol or tobacco.

The most controversial aspect of Canada’s move has been setting the minimum age for use at 18 or 19, depending on the province. That is lower than in US states that have embraced legalisation.

-AAP