Georgia mitigates penalty for marijuana use
TBILISI. June 16 (Interfax) - The Georgian parliament approved the amendments to the law 'On narcotics, psychoactive substances, precursors, and drug addiction treatments' and accompanying regulations, in accordance to which the drug policy in force in the country is liberalized, at a session on Friday.
It means "liberalization of criminal and administrative responsibility, not decriminalizing the drug policy," Georgian Deputy Justice Ministry Alexander Baramidze told deputies at the parliament, presenting the amendments to the existing legislation.
According to the amendments introduced to the law, the amounts of cannabis and marijuana the possession of which results in certain penalties have been increased. In particular, in case of illegal planting, growing or cultivation of cannabis, its amount should not exceed 140 grams (instead of current 50 grams), and the amount of over 1,000 grams (instead of 250 grams) will be considered as the particularly large one.
As of hemp products (marijuana), in this case an illegal amount of dried marijuana is 70 grams (instead of 50 grams), and the illegal amount of raw marijuana is 140 grams (instead of 100 grams).
At that, penalties for the law violations, which will no longer be punished in accordance with the Article 260 of the Georgian Criminal Code previously providing mostly for imprisonment, are being significantly mitigated.
The amendments are replacing the punishment for illegal planting, growing or cultivation of narcotic plants, which was a heavy fine or imprisonment for the period from two to five years, with community service for the period from 160 to 220 hours.
The same acts committed on a large scale by a group of people by prior arrangement, by a person exercising their official powers, or by a person, who had previously committed any drug-related crime, will be punished with a fine, community service for the period from 400 to 500 hours, or imprisonment up to three years instead of imprisonment for the period from four to seven years.
If these acts are committed on an especially large scale or by an organized group, then the ensuing penalty, which previously was imprisonment for the period from six to 12 years, will be decreased two-fold, from three to six years.
Other amendments providing for liberalization of the legislation pertaining to cannabis and marijuana and at the same time tightening the policy on illegal distribution of drugs were introduced to the Georgian Criminal Code and the Georgian Administrative Code.
A public campaign demanding to decriminalize drugs has recently intensified in Georgia, rallies calling for the decriminalization of use of marijuana and other soft drugs are increasingly held in the country.
According to official figures, there are 29 drug addicts for every 10,000 people in Georgia, and only a fraction of them, 11.5%, are undergoing treatment. The most widespread drug is marijuana, 63.9% of the total number of drug addicts are using it.
