Canada have become the second country to legalise cannabis after Uruguay, with the first recreational cannabis bought in the North American country by midnight Wednesday (2.30 am GMT) on the eastern island of Newfoundland amid queues of hundreds of people.
Medical marijuana has been legal in the country since 2001.
But concerns remain, including about the readiness for police forces to tackle drug impaired driving.
Information has been sent to 15m households about the new laws and there are public awareness campaigns.
Canadian provinces and municipalities have been preparing for months for the end of cannabis prohibition. They are responsible for setting out where cannabis can be bought and consumed.
This has created a patchwork of more or less restrictive legislation across the country.