Georgia Legalizes Marijuana

Matilda Omonaiye/

After three months of legal considerations, marijuana has now been legalized in Georgia.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the country’s constitutional court announced the decision today.

According to a report JAMNEWS in Tbilisi, the decision was in response to a lawsuit by the leaders of the political party “Girchi” (“Pinecone”) Zurab Japaridze and Vakhtang Megrelishvili who were advocating for the legalization of marijuana and liberalization of Georgian drug laws for many years.

According to the court’s ruling, using marijuana will only be punished if it carries a danger for other people. Specifically, it cannot be used in educational institutions, public transport or any other public places.

At the same time, growing and distributing marijuana still remains a criminally punishable offence.

After the court announced the decision, Zurab Japaridze said: “This wasn’t a fight for marijuana, this was a fight for our freedom”.

Last year, the constitutional court decriminalized weed and only left administrative fines as a punishment for its use. But activists filed a new suit demanding that the administrative penalties should be removed.