Constitutional court outlaws all punishment for cannabis consumption in Georgia
Consumption of cannabis is ‘an action protected by the right to a person’s free development’
Monday, July 30, 2018
The Constitutional Court of Georgia ruled that people can no longer face administrative punishments, such as fines, for consuming cannabis. The decision, which is effective immediately, comes eight months after the court abolished criminal sanctions for cannabis use. The ruling concerns only the consumption of cannabis, while cultivation and selling remain a crime. Consumption of cannabis is ‘an action protected by the right to a person’s free development’, article 16 of the constitution. Parliamentary hearings on Georgia’s drug decriminalisation bill, which could see the possession of all drugs decriminalised in Georgia, are ongoing. (See also: Cannabis use can no longer be punished in Georgia, court rules | Georgia legalizes it – sort of)
