Germany becomes biggest E.U. country to legalize marijuana possession

German cannabis campaigners and aficionados lit celebratory joints at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate at midnight early Monday, gathering for a legal “smoke-in” to mark the nation’s newly liberalized law on marijuana coming into effect.

Germany’s government passed legislation allowing adults to possess small amounts of the drug, making it the largest European Union country to legalize possession for recreational use. The purchase and sale of cannabis is still prohibited and can lead to fines and imprisonment.