Canada's House of Commons approved a bill to legalize recreational cannabis use, moving the country one step closer to becoming the only G-8 nation to allow recreational use.

But the lower house rejected several amendments to The Cannabis Act placed there by the Senate, which will now have to reconsider the legislation after approving it once before.  One key provision rejected by the House of Commons would have affirmed the individual provinces' right to ban home cultivation of marijuana.

Legalizing recreational marijuana use has been a top priority of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau since before he took office.  "We have been talking about this since well before we formed government", PM Trudeau told reporters last month.  "We have been working with our partners across the country to make this happen and we are going to be moving forward this summer on the legalisation of cannabis."

If he can work out the differences between the Commons and Senate version of The Cannabis Act, it will be sent to the Governor General for royal assent.  Trudeau and his cabinet will choose the actual date when legalization takes effect, which could come as early as September.