The most stringent pesticide law in North America pulls more than 200 products from shelves.

Residents of the province of Quebec (Canada) may no longer smite their dandelions with 2,4-D, the herbicide found in popular lawn and garden products such as Green Cross Killex. The ban results as Quebec enacts the third and final phase of its Pesticides Management Code, which was launched in April 2003. The code is considered the toughest in North America and bans 20 active ingredients found in more than 200 products sold for cosmetic use in lawns and gardens. Commercial enterprises such as golf courses and farms are exempted from the law.

With the banning of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), Quebec joins Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, which prohibited the herbicide because of concerns that it is linked to childhood cancer. No other provinces in Canada have banned the herbicide. In February 2005, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency reevaluated 2,4-D and concluded that it is safe to use on lawns according to the label’s instructions.