Quebec will set the minimum legal age to buy and consume cannabis at 18 years old, according to a recent report from Radio-Canada.

Quebec’s liquor board, the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), will control the sale of cannabis, after a series of intense discussion among the government’s liberal caucus members. Lucie Charlebois, Quebec’s public health minister, will introduce a law on social cannabis in an effort to create some coherent policy before legalization takes effect on July 1, 2018.

Because the legal age to buy and consume alcohol in Quebec is 18 years old, Premier Philippe Couillard said the new law will prevent young people from buying cannabis on the black market.

The government would rather handle the job than leave it in the hands of organized crime, he said.

“What we want to do is prevent organized crime and the black market from profiting from the situation,” Couillard said.

On a similar note, Ontario announced its plans for cannabis sales and distribution as well, and set the legal consumption age at 19, the same as the drinking age. Part of the plan included 80 stand-alone stores that will be open by July 1, 2019, and roughly 150 opened by 2020.

During the deliberation, members of the liberal caucus were allowed to express their views on the issue and some advocated for the age to be set between 19 and 21. The opposition, Coalation Avenir Quebec, was concerned about the negative effects cannabis can have on the young brain.

Member of the opposition Jolin-Barrette said Premier Couillard should have stressed on educating young people about the effects of the drug, instead of allowing them to use it.

“We are extremely uncomfortable with the decision to make the age 18 because [cannabis] affects the development of the brain, has consequences for young people up to the age of 25,” he said.

It remains unclear whether profits from sales will be used for prevention and health campaigns as suggested by the opposition.