marijuana

Georgia’s ruling party vows to fill ‘legal vacuum’ after Constitutional Court abolished punishment for cannabis use

By | July 31st, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

One of the plaintiffs, Zurab Japaridze, at the marijuana planting event on New Year’s Eve 2017. (Pirveli TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The ruling GD party in Georgia rejects a decision by the Constitutional Court to abolish punishment for marijuana use, arguing that the ruling creates a ‘legal vacuum’ that the government pledges to fill. The Constitutional Court on Monday […]

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. […]

Georgia moves toward legalizing marijuana with Constitutional Court ruling

By | November 30th, 2017|Categories: Youth|Tags: , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down a law requiring a doctor’s prescription to use marijuana, scoring another victory for campaigners who want the soft drug fully decriminalized. An individual’s right “to choose the desired kind of the relaxation […] including marijuana, […]

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. […]

Police move on libertarians for NYE cannabis planting stunt

By | January 12th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Detectives removing marijuana plants from the Girchi party office. Party supporters booing. TBILISI, DFWatch–Police in the former Soviet republic Georgia entered the office of a libertarian party on Wednesday, seizing 84 cannabis plants that were planted eleven days earlier in a publicity stunt to promote the decriminalization of drugs. The three officers spent […]

‘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 […]

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 wanted in Demur Sturua case gives himself up

By | September 13th, 2016|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Goderdzi Tevzadze outside the regional prosecutor’s office in Kutaisi Tuesday night. (Channel 1.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A policeman who has been wanted in connection with 22-year-old Demur Sturua’s suicide showed up at the regional prosecutor’s office in Kutaisi Tuesday night accompanied by his lawyer. Goderdzi Tevzadze was declared wanted by the Prosecutor […]

Court issues detention order for policeman charged in suicide case

By | August 31st, 2016|Categories: In brief|Tags: , , |

The court building in Kutaisi. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A court in Georgia on Tuesday issued an order to detain a policeman who is accused of having caused the suicide of a 22-year-old man. The wanted police officer Goderdzi Tevzadze has gone into hiding, and Kutaisi City Court therefore issued the ruling ‘in absentia’. […]

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 […]

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 [...]

Possession of marijuana decriminalized after Constitutional Court ruling

By | October 26th, 2015|Categories: Youth|Tags: |

June 2 has become the rallying day for supporters of legalization. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Possession of up to 70 grams of marijuana is no longer a crime in Georgia, following a ruling in the Constitutional Court. The Court on Saturday struck down as unconstitutional a passage in the law that made it punishable by from 7 to 14 years […]

Man arrested in Samegrelo for growing marijuana

By | September 6th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

(police.ge.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A 38 year man was arrested on Saturday for growing marijuana in the northwest of Georgia. The man is charged with illegal purchase and possession of a large amount of drugs. Police searched the man’s house in the village […]

Legalize pot rally in Tbilisi gathers hundreds

By | June 3rd, 2015|Categories: Youth|Tags: |

(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of mostly young people gathered outside the government office in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday to demand the decriminalization of marijuana. The annual protest brought together youth, politicians, journalists, non-governmental organizations and others. […]

‘2nd June’ group rally for legalization of marijuana

By | May 21st, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–A movement demanding to decriminalize marijuana in Georgia plans to rally on June 2, in front of the government office. Campaigners have two demands: to stop jailing people for personal use of marijuana and to stop the use of forced random drug tests. […]

Georgia to change its policy toward softer drugs

By | June 3rd, 2014|Categories: News, Youth|Tags: |

Demonstrators, mostly youth, demanded decriminalization of marijuana yesterday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people, mostly youth, gathered Monday outside the government office in Tbilisi to demand decriminalization of marijuana. The rally started at 18:00 in the evening. There were no speeches or appeals. People were dressed in green colors […]

Demonstration in Tbilisi for decriminalization of marijuana

By | June 1st, 2014|Categories: News, Youth|Tags: , |

‘End the brutal drug policy’. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Mostly young demonstrators marched through Tbilisi on Saturday, against what they see as a too tough drug policy. Their slogan, ‘Beka is not a criminal’, is in support of a man who may be sentenced to up to 14 years in jail for possession […]

Youth for legalizing marijuana plan demonstration

By | May 31st, 2014|Categories: News, Youth|Tags: |

From last year’s demonstration. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Youth in Georgia also this year plan to demonstrate for decriminalizing marijuana. On June 2 last year, there was a large rally outside the old parliament building in Tbilisi for legalizing pot, and this year’s rally is planned at the government […]

Decriminalize marijuana rally in Tbilisi

By | June 3rd, 2013|Categories: Society|Tags: |

Organizers say it is not right to punish marijuana use tougher than rape. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–More than a thousand people gathered in front of the old parliament building in Tbilisi on Sunday to demand the decriminalization of marijuana. Under current legislation it is illegal to use or sell marijuana and other soft drugs. Organizers of the rally […]