drug policy

Georgia on its way to less punitive, more human drug policy?

By | June 13th, 2018|Categories: Society|Tags: , , , |

Commissioners Pavel Bém (left) and Michel Kazatchkine. Two commissioners visiting Tbilisi urge the government of Georgia to go ahead with bold reform of drug policies, insisting that ending punishment does not mean encouraging or condoning the use of drugs, but rather it empowers individuals and communities […]

Georgian clubbers call off protest after interior minister promises investigation of police brutality

By | May 14th, 2018|Categories: Youth|Tags: , , , |

Beka Tsikarishvili, one of the spokespersons for the clubbers who protested. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi youth outraged by police raids of two night clubs called off their two day long protest Sunday night after the interior minister publicly apologized for police brutality and promised an investigation. […]

22-year-old woman dies from suspected drug use at music festival

By | August 6th, 2017|Categories: Youth|Tags: , , |

(GEM Fest/Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in Georgia have brought in stricter anti-drug measures at a youth festival after a 22 year old woman tragically died. The female bank employee became ill Friday after allegedly ingesting the drug ‘bio’. She was rushed to hospital but died 8 hours later. […]

Rappers whose arrest sparked review of drug policy released on bail

By | June 13th, 2017|Categories: Youth|Tags: , , , |

Mishka Mgaloblishvili. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia released on bail two rappers whose controversial arrest on drug charges may have hastened a review of the drug policy. The court released the two on bail Monday after their arrest June 10 for possession of between 1.5 and 2.3 grams […]

PM responds to groundswell of support for Georgia’s jailed rappers

By | June 11th, 2017|Categories: Youth|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s prime minister promised to soften the country’s drug policy Saturday evening as a large crowd gathered in the capital Tbilisi in support of two detained rappers who claim drugs were planted on them by police as revenge for a music video. […]

‘Come get us’ – Libertarians invite police action after NYE weed planting

By | January 4th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Zurab Japaridze from the libertarian Girchi party. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Leaders of a small libertarian party in the former Soviet republic Georgia ask authorities to hold them to account after a marijuana planting stunt four days ago meant to force a softening of the country’s drug policy. So far, the activists have not […]

Georgian opposition party plants marijuana on New Year’s Eve

By | January 2nd, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , , |

(Pirveli TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The leader of an opposition party in the former Soviet republic Georgia made a small marijuana plantation inside the party office on New Year’s Eve as part of a campaign to decriminalize soft drugs. Zurab Japaridze, leader of a newly formed party called […]

Constitutional Court decides prison is too harsh punishment for marijuana use

By | December 26th, 2016|Categories: Youth|Tags: , |

(DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Constitutional Court has struck down a law which sent many young people to prison for using marijuana. Being charged with possession and consumption of marijuana will no longer land you in jail in Georgia, after the Constitutional Court […]

Protest for drug liberalization leads to detentions in Tbilisi

By | December 12th, 2016|Categories: Youth|Tags: |

(Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A protest against Georgia’s strict drug policy led to clashes with police and two people being detained in Tbilisi on Saturday.  Protesters gathered in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Ave in Tbilisi to demand a softer drug policy. […]

Georgian opposition party threatens to plant marijuana on New Year’s Eve

By | November 17th, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Zurab Japaridze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A political party in the former Soviet republic Georgia has launched an unusual campaign to legalize marijuana: If the parliament doesn’t decriminalize the weed by the end of the year, they will plant the narcotic plant in their office on New Year’s Eve. […]

Georgia’s Constitutional Court strikes down tough marijuana law

By | October 2nd, 2016|Categories: Youth|Tags: , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down a law that has landed many young people in jail for years for using marijuana. The court abolished part of article 273 of the Criminal code, which mandated jail sentence for anyone caught […]

Policeman on the run – charged with causing 22-year-old’s suicide

By | August 30th, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

Demur Sturua (22) left a suicide note implicating the wanted police officer. (Interpressnews.) Activists blamed Georgia’s drug policy of having caused the young man’s death. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A police officer in Georgia was Monday charged with causing a young man to commit suicide. The police officer, Goderdzi Tevzadze in the western Georgian town Samtredia, has gone into hiding and was charged in absentia. He is charged with abusing his official powers […]

Protesters blame Georgia’s drug policy for young man’s suicide

By | August 21st, 2016|Categories: Youth|Tags: , , , |

(Photo by Tornike Shevardnadze / Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Activists clashed with police in a town in western Georgia on Saturday. The protesters blame the government’s drug policy for driving a 22-year-old man to take his own life. Protesters gathered in front of the Samtredia […]

Free Democrats promises to decriminalize all drug use

By | August 16th, 2016|Categories: Politics|Tags: , , , |

Nikoloz Pruidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Irakli Alasania’s Free Democrats promises a liberal drug policy and the decriminalization of all forms of drugs if they come to power. But the punishment for drug dealing will be tougher, the party’s healthcare strategist Nikoloz Pruidze […]

Campaigners’ plea to president to free 22-year-old caught with ecstasy

By | July 17th, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Groups demonstrated Thursday to ask the president to release a 22 year old man who is serving a one year prison sentence for possession of two grams of ecstasy. Kote Japaridze, the recipient of a presidential scholarship, was arrested […]

Hundreds gather in Tbilisi against ‘inhumane drug policy’ of the state

By | June 3rd, 2016|Categories: In brief|Tags: , , |

Tbilisi, DFWatch - Hundreds of people, mostly youth, gathered at the government building in Tbilisi Thursday evening to protest ‘inhumane drug policy’ and demand decriminalization of the light drugs and to soften the drug legislation in general. The annual protest bringing together youth, politicians, journalists, NGO activists is held every June 2, since 2013. The main [...]