Georgia eases draconian law on cannabis use in landmark ruling

Campaigners welcome relaxation of rules on possession but face stiff opposition on efforts to overhaul country’s drugs policy
The Guardian (UK)
Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Until recently anyone caught with cannabis twice in 12 months in Georgia faced up to 14 years behind bars. Today you can carry enough for over 200 joints, after the constitutional court in effect decriminalised possession of the drug. The landmark ruling follows the case of 27-year-old Beka Tsikarishvili who was arrested in 2013 with 65 grams of cannabis, which he said was for his own use. Facing a long sentence, he argued imprisonment was unlawful because it infringed his human dignity. (See also: Georgia: Innovation, advocacy and drug decriminalization | Georgia court rules in favour of cannabis possession, but will it make a difference?)