North America’s marijuana index is riding high once again after one of the world’s biggest cannabis markets moved one step closer to full legalization.

Canada’s Senate Passes Cannabis Act

Canada’s cannabis bill passed third reading in the Senate last week and in doing so overcame one of the last critical hurdles to full legalization of recreational marijuana. Bill C-45, the so-called cannabis bill, was approved by a vote of 56-30 with one abstention.

The amended bill goes back to the House of Commons, where Liberal Members of Parliament will determine which amendments to keep and which to omit before sending it back to the Senate. Once the bill is passed, provincial governments will have up to three months to prepare for full implementation of the law. At that point, recreational cannabis will be available for sale. According to various studies, the sale of recreational weed will open up a multi-billion-dollar industry.

However, it’s not entirely clear how long the Liberals will need to review the amended bill before sending it back to the Senate. There are currently three ministers looking over the amendments. Although most Senate amendments are minor, about a dozen stick out as significant impediments to implementation.

For cannabis companies, this could mean many more months of uncertainty. However, in the grand scheme of things, the passing of Bill C-45 is a major breakthrough for businesses that have gambled heavily on the legalization of recreational pot.

Marijuana Stocks Rise

After initial trepidation, marijuana stocks have risen sharply since Canada passed Bill C-45. However, the bulk of the gains have been concentrated south of the border, a sign that investors were becoming more optimistic that the Trump administration would continue to back off states seeking to legalize recreational cannabis.

The North American Marijuana Index, which tracks 41 companies in Canada and the United States, rose 1.8% on Monday to $277.70. That was its highest settlement since Feb. 15.

Shares of marijuana companies have gained 10.6% over the past month but are still well below peak levels from early January.

All of the gains Monday came from U.S. companies, with the likes of MariMed Inc. (MRMD), CV Sciences Inc. (CVSI) and WeedMD Inc. (WMD) putting up large gains. The U.S. Marijuana Index jumped 5.3% to $110.04, its highest since late January.

Canadian cannabis stocks fell 1.5% on Monday, their third consecutive down session. The Canadian version of the marijuana index, which contains 24 companies collectively valued at $26.2 billion, rose to more than two-month highs ahead of the Senate vote on Bill C-45.