Cannabis is partially legal in Germany from today: which other countries have decriminalised the drug and will visitors to Germany during the Euros be able to take it?

Germany is now thought to have the most lenient marijuana laws in the European Union

Germany has made marijuana partially legal for personal use, creating what is believed to be the most lenient stance on the drug in the European Union.

As of today, adults in Germany are allowed to carry up to 25g of dried cannabis on them, hold 50g at home and cultivate up to three marijuana plants at their home.

It will also mean that as it has been declassified and is no longer a narcotic product, the drug can more easily be grown to supply the medical cannabis market. Legalisation of cannabis for medical use took place in 2017.

Cannabis enthusiasts smoke joints legally at the Brandenburg Gate shortly after midnight today in Berlin, Germany. Germany's new cannabis law goes into effect today, bringing in a new era of legal cannabis consumption.

However, unlike some other countries, people will not be allowed to meet in cannabis cafes and will have to use the drug elsewhere. Even the not-for-profit cannabis “clubs”, which are the only way the drug can be bought legally and can have up to 500 members, will not be able to host meetings on their premises or advertise.

Why has the German government decided to legalise the drug?

Politicians hope the new law will "reduce the black market [and] prevent children and young people from consuming cannabis”.

The bill was passed last month, when some 407 MPs voted in favour of the draft law, with 226 MPs voting against and four abstentions.

Will visitors to Germany during the Euros football tournament this summer be able to take cannabis?

No. The German government is keen to avoid “drug tourism”, something the Dutch city of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, which introduced a “tolerance” law for cannabis in 1976, has struggled with.

Only people who have lived in Germany for at least six months will be able to obtain recreational cannabis by growing it at home or via "cannabis clubs."

Are there any restrictions on where it can be taken?

Smoking around areas such as playgrounds and sports centres is not allowed – or within "pedestrian zones" between 7am and 8pm.

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Which other countries have legalised cannabis?

The Netherlands is the country probably best known for it’s decision to “tolerate” the drug almost 50 years ago. However, it became plagued with drug tourism – from people visiting predominantly to use cannabis. As a result, last year, it made it illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam's red light district, where locals warned street drug pushers were causing problems.

Under current laws in the Netherlands it is a criminal offence to possess, produce or deal drugs. However, the Dutch government has a "toleration policy" that allows coffee shops to sell cannabis under strict conditions.

Adults in Malta may carry up to 7g of cannabis and grow up to four plants at home based on legislation passed in 2021, but smoking marijuana in public is still banned, while private consumption is also tolerated in Luxembourg.

In 2018, the federal government of Canada announced that recreational use of cannabis would no longer violate criminal law. Legal cannabis products are sold through retailers authorised by provincial and territorial governments.

Meanwhile, in the United States, cannabis is legal in 38 of 50 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use.

Has there been any opposition to the changes?

Dr Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association, warned last year that the legislation would "trivialise a drug that is proven to be addictive and can lead to serious developmental damage - especially in adolescents and young adults".

Opposition politicians, including from the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parliamentary group, have branded it “irresponsible”.