New drug legislation in Georgia includes 20-year prison terms, mandatory treatment

On March 19, 2025, the Georgian Parliament approved a package of legislative amendments aimed at strengthening the fight against drugs. The decision was made during a plenary session, which was broadcast live on the Parliament’s official website.

"83 votes in favour, none against. The package has been approved in the first reading," announced Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament, as he summarized the outcome of the vote, Caliber.Az reports, citing international media.

The proposed amendments will affect Georgia's Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offenses, and the Law on Organized Crime and Racketeering. A significant change introduced in the Criminal Code will be the concept of compulsory treatment for drug addiction. Under the new law, judges will have the authority to impose mandatory addiction treatment as an additional form of punishment at their discretion.

In a further crackdown on drug-related offences, the amendments propose a sentence of up to 20 years in prison — or longer — for the sale of even small amounts of illegal drugs. The revised legislation will also make it a criminal offence to illegally manufacture, produce, transport, or send narcotics, their analogues, precursors, or new psychoactive substances.

The new measures will hold individuals accountable for trafficking new psychoactive substances, their analogues, strong drugs, cannabis or marijuana plants, and other narcotic substances. The Criminal Code will also introduce definitions for "drug dealer" and "drug trafficking," further clarifying the scope of the law.

Additionally, the new law will redefine family members, close relatives, and others connected to drug dealers, specifying who qualifies as part of the dealer’s network. The updated Criminal Code will also address the assets of drug dealers, clarifying how these are treated under the law.

The initiative also tightens administrative penalties for illegal activities related to drugs, such as the production, acquisition, storage, transportation, and use of narcotics or their analogues in small amounts without a prescription.

The amendments stipulate that individuals convicted of drug-related crimes will face the loss of their driver’s licenses, will be prohibited from working in government institutions, and will be banned from purchasing, storing, or carrying firearms for up to five years.

By Tamilla Hasanova