Since July 1, cannabis enthusiasts in Germany can get together and establish private clubs with up to 500 members to grow cannabis, distribute it among their members and consume it together.

However, as is so often the case in Germany, this new regulation comes with many details — and a lot of bureaucracy. Each member of the club may receive a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis (just under one ounce) on one day and a total of 50 grams per month.

It's as yet unclear which authority is supposed to be monitoring these clubs. In Berlin, for example, observers aren't sure how the city's responsible districts will handle the licensing process.

"The federal states are extremely ill-prepared for this," said Steffen Geyer, the head of the umbrella organization of German Cannabis Social Clubs. "There will certainly be a mid three-digit number of clubs applying for a license. How long this will take and how many of them will be successful is still impossible to predict," he said.

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On April 1, in a first step, Germany legalized the consumption of small amounts of cannabis in public — with many caveats. Since then, people above the age of 18 have been allowed to carry 25 grams of cannabis, and enthusiasts have........

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