Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis. The nationwide market for cannabis opened Wednesday at midnight amid lingering questions about the impact on health, the law and public safety, the BBC reported.

Shops in the province of Newfoundland, the most easterly time zone in Canada, opened as midnight struck for the first legal sales of cannabis in the country. The Government of Canada was expected to announce the pardon of Canadians convicted of possession of marijuana on Wednesday that could ease their travelling to the US, Efe news reported. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would pardon individuals convicted in the past for possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people could benefit from the measure.