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Official: Canada expected to legalize marijuana by July 2018

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TORONTO (AP) -- Canadians are expected to be able to smoke marijuana legally by July 1, 2018.

A senior government official says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government will introduce legislation to legalize recreational marijuana the week of April 10th and officials expect it to be law by July next year. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to discuss the upcoming legislation.

Trudeau has long promised to legalize recreational pot use and sales. Canada would be the largest developed country to end a nationwide prohibition of recreational marijuana.

In the U.S, voters in California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada voted last year to approve the use of recreational marijuana, joining Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Uruguay in South America is the only nation to legalize recreational pot.