Marijuana Became Fully Legal in Canada at Midnight

'Prohibition has ended right now. We just made history'

(NEWSER) – A dream came true at midnight for Newfoundland man Ian Power: He became the first person to legally buy marijuana in Canada for recreational use. Power was the first in line at a new store in the country's easternmost province—and earliest time zone—when recreational marijuana officially became legal, the CBC reports. Power says he hopes legalization will end the stigma around pot use. "I think the social stigma of the 'stupid stoner' or the criminal element for using cannabis, a benign substance, as my choice of medicine or recreation, I think that's gonna change," says Power, who plans to frame his historic purchase instead of smoking it. "Prohibition has ended right now," he says. "We just made history." More:

• World's biggest legal pot market. With 37 million people, Canada is now the world's biggest marketplace for legal recreational marijuana, the AP reports. Users will be served by at least 111 stores opening their doors Wednesday, though in Ontario, the most populous province, the only legal sales currently are online. The province hopes to open stores in a few months, when it has finalized new regulations. The only other country to have fully legalized recreational pot is Uruguay.