The federal government Thursday (April 13) introduced legislation to legalize cannabis.

Alberta's Minister of Justice Kathleen Ganley says the federal government will take the lead on how and where marijuana can be grown, how and where they can be advertised and enforcement for those who sell outside the system.

The province will determine where it can be sold and consumed.

"As a provincial government we have three key areas of priority and those are; ensuring that we're keeping cannabis away from children, keeping the profits away from criminals and protecting our roads and workplaces," she says. "The federal government has also proposed 18 as the national minimum age for marijuana use, while provinces may set their age higher, this is something we'll raise as part of the engagement phase we will be launching."

She hopes to have that consultation process started by the summer.

Minister Ganley says the costs to the province aren't known but there will be costs related to regulation and updating safety codes and other items and she hopes, either through transfers or leaving the province sufficient tax room those costs can be covered.