Uruguay set to make marijuana market plan legal

Uruguay's unprecedented plan to create a legal marijuana market won its critical first step Wednesday in the lower house of Congress.

All 50 members of the ruling Broad Front coalition approved the proposal just before midnight Wednesday in a party line vote, keeping a narrow majority of the 96 lawmakers present after more than 13 hours of passionate debate.

The measure now goes to the Senate, where passage is expected to make Uruguay the first country in the world to license and enforce rules for the production, distribution and sale of marijuana for adult consumers.