Germany has partially legalised the possession of marijuana with new legislation taking effect on April 1.
Public possession of 25g of cannabis is decriminalised and people will be allowed to possess up to 50g of cannabis at home and cultivate three plants.
The new law, however, bans advertising for marijuana and prohibits consumption by minors or in front of minors. Smoking will also be banned within 200 metres of schools, playgrounds, and sports fields.
Smoking marijuana in "pedestrian zones" between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm is also prohibited.
From July, the law allows for non-commercial cannabis clubs to be established with a limit of 500 members who would have access to specific amounts of the drug. Those members must be adults who live in Germany.
The government plans to launch an education campaign about the effects and risks of cannabis.
The health ministry has said that the legislation will help to stop the marijuana black market and will put "health protection" at the centre of Germany's drug policy.
German lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the legislation in February and its approval by the Federal Council at the end of March paved the way for it to come into effect this month.
It means Germany has some of the most lenient marijuana laws in the EU where the drug remains illegal in most countries.
But the law had been subject to controversy, with opposition lawmakers calling it "irresponsible".
Dr Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association, notably said in August 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".
Police unions have also issued warnings about the new legislation, saying it would lead to "uncertainty".
Deputy chairman of the German Police Union Alexander Poitz said in a statement earlier this month that police concerns were not taken into account and that officers would find themselves in difficult situations with citizens.
