By Andrew Buncombe
Washington - Canada has become the first country in the world to legalise the widespread medicinal use of marijuana - allowing people with chronic illnesses to grow and smoke the drug.
The regulations will allow thousands of people to harvest the plant or else name a third party to grow it for them.
The Canadian government is also overseeing the production of its own supply.
The new regulation came about after the case of Terrance Parker, a 44-year-old epileptic who says the drug is the only way to control his seizures. He smokes up to four joints of dagga every day.
In 1996, Parker was arrested for possession, cultivation and trafficking after police raided his home and seized more than 70 dagga plants. Parker argued that his constitutional rights were being abused, and a judge agreed.
In his ruling, Judge Marc Rosenberg said: "Forcing Mr Parker to choose between his health and imprisonment violates his right to liberty and security of the person."
Canada's position puts it in stark contrast to that of the United States. While eight individual states have moved some way towards permitting the medicinal use of marijuana, the US supreme court ruled earlier this year that there were no circumstances when its use was permitted.
In Britain, trials of the medicinal use of marijuana have been going on for the past two years.- Foreign Service