What you need to know about marijuana in Germany

As of the 2017 law, medical marijuana can be prescribed for seriously ill patients, such as those suffering from multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, serious appetite loss or nausea from chemotherapy in Germany.

Still, the law didn't give an exact definition of what 'seriously ill' means. It does state that doctors can write such prescriptions when they see a "not so remote chance" of it resulting in a positive effect.

Before this law, only a select few could apply to be granted permission to consume the drug if they had serious medical conditions. Only around 1,000 people had been given this permission when the law was passed, and they had to take on the costs themselves.

The 2017 law put the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) in charge of creating a 'cannabis agency' to regulate the cultivation, manufacture and sale at pharmacies of medical cannabis. As this is still a work in progress, imported products are to be used.

Pharmacies can sell it in the dried bud form, as an extract, or as an oil from the plant.

With a shortage existing in the supply of the drug through legal means, many patients are still turning to the black market.

The amount that an individual can possess without generally being prosecuted varies across the 16 states.

In capital city Berlin, the rules are much more liberal, with the possession limit being 15 grams in most cases. In many other states, the limit is between 3-5 grams.