Under a new law which came into force yesterday, adults may possess up to 50 grams of cannabis and three plants at home and carry up to 25 grams of cannabis in public.

Selling cannabis remains illegal, but from July, “cannabis clubs” of up to 500 members each will be allowed to form and supply up to 50 grams of cannabis per person per month.

The new cannabis law includes various caveats and regulations, with bans on cannabis advertising as well as consuming cannabis in front of children or near schools and playgrounds.

It also provides for pardons for those previously convicted of cannabis-related offences, which could include as many as 200,000 cases, according to the German Association of Judges.

Malta and Luxembourg are the other two EU countries where cannabis has been legalised, though many EU countries have decriminalised it.

In Ireland, a special Oireachtas committee has been established to consider the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use, which in January proposed decriminalising the possession of drugs for personal use.