Major restructuring of Criminal Code drug provisions began
The spring amendments formed part of a broader reform of criminal drug rules, after which cannabis / marijuana provisions were revised further.
Georgia 🇬🇪 · South Caucasus · 2026
Weed and Cannabis in Georgia in 2026: Laws, Possession & Tbilisi
Georgia does not have a fully legal recreational marijuana market. Constitutional Court decisions gave adults broad protection for cannabis use in genuinely private settings, but acquisition, possession, transfer, sale, cultivation and border crossings remain subject to separate rules. After the 2025 reform, small-quantity thresholds again became central to understanding where administrative liability ends and criminal liability can begin.
Use
For an adult 21+, cannabis use in a genuinely private residential setting has broader protection than other cannabis-related acts. Public places, hotels and several special situations are regulated separately.
Acquisition
Even a small amount does not become a lawful retail purchase. Article 45¹ treats unlawful acquisition of a small amount as an administrative offence.
Possession
Small quantities of cannabis plant / marijuana fall under administrative liability after the July 2, 2025 changes. Above the small-quantity threshold, criminal rules can apply.
Transfer
Transfer of a small amount is covered by Article 45¹; above the small-quantity threshold, a separate criminal offence governs unlawful transfer. Sale is treated more severely.
METHOD
If you'd like to learn more about making a purchase, click the link.
Tbilisi
Weed in Tbilisi: Separate Rules or Georgian National Law?
Tbilisi appears frequently in searches such as 'weed in Tbilisi', 'marijuana in Tbilisi' and 'can you buy weed in Tbilisi'. But the capital does not have its own legalization regime or recreational market: national Georgian law applies. In practice, the important distinctions are between private use, public use, acquisition, possession and sale.
Street, park, square, caféPublic space: cannabis use can lead to an 800–1,200 GEL fine.
Private apartmentFor an adult, use here has the broadest constitutional protection.
Ordinary residential rentalThe note to Article 45¹ does not treat an ordinary residential lease as commercial activity for this exception.
Hotel / family hotelHotels are treated separately, so a hotel room should not automatically be equated with an ordinary private apartment.
Possession · Article 45¹
Cannabis Possession in Georgia: 5 g, Fines & Criminal Liability
The July 2025 changes set the current small-quantity thresholds. These figures define the administrative regime; they are not a legal allowance to carry cannabis freely.
Category
Small quantity
Large quantity
Cannabis plant10 g155 g
Marijuana · dried5 g70 g
Marijuana · raw10 g140 g
Cannabis resin0.05 g0.5 g
For unlawful acquisition, possession, transport or transfer of a small amount of cannabis plant / marijuana, Article 45¹ provides for a 500 GEL fine. These numbers are classification thresholds, not a 'permitted amount'.
3 / 5
Additional consequences. On March 26, 2026, the Constitutional Court upheld mandatory loss of driving rights for 3 years and several other rights — including public-service employment, teaching and firearms-related rights — for 5 years after an Article 45¹(1) offence.
What changed
Cannabis Laws in Georgia: What Changed in 2025–2026?
New small-quantity thresholds and a stricter penalty structure
Parliament stated that up to 10 g of cannabis plant, 5 g of dried marijuana and 10 g of raw marijuana fall under the administrative regime. Amounts above the small-quantity threshold can trigger criminal liability.
Court upheld mandatory restrictions on certain rights
The Constitutional Court reviewed the three-year driving restriction and five-year restrictions on several other rights and did not find them manifestly disproportionate.
0.1315 g cannabis resin: criminalization remained, imprisonment did not
The Court found imprisonment for acquiring and possessing that amount of resin for personal use disproportionate, but did not strike down the criminal classification itself.
Buying · Tbilisi · Georgia
Can You Legally Buy Weed in Georgia, and Are There Dispensaries in Tbilisi?
Not through a normal recreational retail market. Georgia has no licensed dispensary system where an adult can simply buy marijuana legally for non-medical use. That is why searches such as 'where to buy weed in Tbilisi' can create the false impression that legal retail exists.
Acquiring a small amountIt is not a lawful retail purchase: Article 45¹ provides for a 500 GEL administrative fine.
Possession after acquisitionPossession is assessed separately by quantity; a small amount also falls under the administrative regime.
Transfer without paymentA small amount falls under Article 45¹; above the small-quantity threshold, Article 260² applies.
SaleArticle 260³ provides a base prison term of 5–10 years for unlawful sale of cannabis plant / marijuana.
Constitutional protection for cannabis use does not create a legal retail market. This section addresses only the legal status of acquisition, transfer and sale.
Use
Can You Smoke Weed in Georgia? Apartment, Street & Hotel Rules
The 2018 Constitutional Court decision did not create an unconditional right to use marijuana anywhere. Article 45¹ lists situations where cannabis use can still lead to an administrative fine.
Private apartment / house
For an adult 21+, cannabis use here has the broadest protection unless a special restriction applies.
Rented accommodation
An ordinary residential lease is not treated as commercial activity for the Article 45¹ exception; hotels and family hotels are treated separately.
Street, yard, park, café, transport
Public use: 800–1,200 GEL; repeat offence: 1,200–1,500 GEL.
In the presence of a minor
Even in private, use or being under the influence in the presence of a minor can lead to a 1,000–1,500 GEL fine.
What happened?
Legal overview
Adult cannabis use in a private residential setting
Cannabis use itself has the broadest constitutional protection in this setting. But acquisition and possession are assessed separately, and the presence of a minor or other special circumstances changes the legal position.
Basis: Constitutional Court 2018 + Article 45¹ of the Administrative Offences Code.
Tourists · airport · border
Cannabis in Georgia for Tourists: Transport, Airport & Border Rules
For visitors, it is risky to apply domestic possession thresholds to airports or the state border. Travel within Georgia, possession in a car, use at an airport and international import are different situations. Article 262 regulates unlawful import, export and transit separately from the administrative small-quantity regime inside Georgia.
Tbilisi → BatumiDomestic travel is not a border crossing, but quantity and the legal status of possession / transport still matter.
CarKeeping cannabis in a vehicle does not make it lawful; driving under the influence and the consequences of drug offences are regulated separately.
AirportCannabis use at an airport is expressly treated as public use under Article 45¹. Crossing the border with cannabis is a separate Article 262 issue.
HotelThe note to Article 45¹ treats hotels / family hotels separately, so a hotel room is not equivalent to an ordinary rented apartment.
Up to 9.68 g on entryIn 2022, the Court removed the possibility of imprisonment for importing no more than 9.68 g of dried marijuana for personal use, but did not make such import lawful.
Cultivation
Can You Grow Weed in Georgia?
Criminal Code Article 265¹ separately regulates the unlawful sowing, growing and cultivation of plants containing narcotic substances. The Constitutional Court has also stressed that the risks associated with cultivation differ from the risks of use itself: the potential for production and onward circulation is assessed separately.
2–6 yearsThe basic provision includes alternatives such as a fine, community service or house arrest and/or imprisonment for two to six years; large and especially large quantities are punished more severely.
Medical cannabis · CBD · THC
Medical Cannabis, CBD & THC in Georgia: What Is Allowed?
Georgia has no simple rule that 'medical cannabis is legal' or 'CBD is always legal'. The law distinguishes controlled substances, medicinal forms and product categories. Cannabis, its extracts and tinctures, cannabis oil and cannabis resin are specially controlled, while dronabinol is regulated separately. The status of a specific CBD/THC product therefore depends on its composition, form and how it is supplied or imported.
Cannabis flowerGeorgia does not have a broad dispensary-style program for plant-form recreational or medical cannabis.
THCDronabinol is controlled separately in List II; that does not mean THC products are freely available.
CBDThe word CBD does not provide a universal answer. Actual composition, THC content, product category and import rules all matter.
Oil / extractCannabis oil, extracts and tinctures are expressly listed among controlled substances; foreign 0.2% or 0.3% THC thresholds cannot simply be imported into Georgian law.
How the current regime developed
Cannabis Legalization and Decriminalization in Georgia: 2017 → 2018 → 2025 → 2026
Georgia's current cannabis regime did not come from one 'legalization law'. It developed through Constitutional Court decisions followed by amendments to administrative and criminal legislation. That is why use, possession and sale now have different legal treatment.
Givi Shanidze v Parliament
The Court found criminal liability for marijuana use incompatible with the right to free personal development. The ruling concerned use, not automatic legalization of possession or cultivation.
Japaridze & Megrelishvili
The Court rejected the general administrative ban on use, while allowing the state to protect the rights of others and public order in specific situations.
Reform of cannabis / marijuana offences
Parliament established the current small-quantity thresholds and revised criminal liability for acquisition, possession, transfer, sale and cultivation.
New Constitutional Court rulings
The Court upheld mandatory restrictions on several rights after an Article 45¹(1) offence and separately clarified the limits of punishment for a small amount of cannabis resin intended for personal use.
0.1315 gcannabis resin · case №882
Decision of June 24, 2026
Cannabis Resin (Hashish) in Georgia: The 2026 Constitutional Court Decision
In Paata Cherkezishvili v. Parliament, the Constitutional Court considered the acquisition and possession of 0.1315 g of cannabis resin for personal use. The Court found imprisonment for that amount disproportionate because it would generally be sufficient only for personal use and did not by itself demonstrate a real risk of distribution. However, the Court did not find the criminal liability for acquiring and possessing that amount unconstitutional.
The case is a useful reminder that 'marijuana', 'hash / resin' and 'small quantity' are not interchangeable legal categories: cannabis resin has its own thresholds.
Official sources
Current Law and Court Decisions, Not Outdated Summaries
The legal status was checked against consolidated texts on Matsne, materials from the Parliament of Georgia and decisions of the Constitutional Court of Georgia. Where an older travel article conflicts with current law, the current official text takes priority.
Parliament · 2025July 2, 2025 amendments: small quantities and the cannabis / marijuana liability systemOpen ↗
MatsneAdministrative Offences Code · Article 45¹ — small quantities and cannabis-use rulesOpen ↗
MatsneCriminal Code · Articles 260–265¹ — possession, transfer, sale, import and cultivationOpen ↗
MatsneLaw on Narcotic Drugs — controlled cannabis substances and quantity thresholdsOpen ↗
Court · 2017Givi Shanidze v. Parliament · №1/13/732Open ↗
Court · 2018Zurab Japaridze and Vakhtang Megrelishvili v. Parliament · №1/3/1282Open ↗
Court · 2022Import of up to 9.68 g dried marijuana for personal use · №3/1/1239,1642,1674Open ↗
Court · 2026Mandatory 3- and 5-year restrictions after an Article 45¹(1) offence · March 26, 2026Open ↗
Court · 2026Paata Cherkezishvili v. Parliament · 0.1315 g cannabis resin · June 24, 2026Open ↗
Legal review of this page: September 15, 2026.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Weed and Cannabis in Georgia
Is weed legal in Georgia?
Not as a fully legal recreational market. Private use by adults has broader protection than acquisition and possession; small quantities are subject to administrative liability, while sale, cultivation and import are regulated more strictly.
Can you possess 5 g of marijuana in Georgia without consequences?
No. Five grams of dried marijuana is a small-quantity threshold, not a legal allowance. Article 45¹ provides for a 500 GEL fine for unlawful acquisition, possession, transport or transfer of a small amount.
Can you legally buy weed in Tbilisi?
There is no ordinary legal recreational retail market or licensed dispensary system. Acquiring even a small amount is itself an administrative offence, while sale is governed by criminal law.
Can you smoke weed on the street in Tbilisi?
Cannabis use on a street, in a park, yard, square, café, restaurant, public transport, airport and other public places can result in an 800–1,200 GEL fine.
Can you use cannabis in a private apartment?
For an adult 21+, a private residential setting is the most protected context. However, the presence of a minor and other special circumstances can create separate liability.
Can you use cannabis in a hotel?
A hotel room should not be treated as an ordinary private-residence exception. The note to Article 45¹ treats hotels and family hotels separately from ordinary residential rental.
Are there cannabis shops or dispensaries in Tbilisi?
There is no ordinary legal recreational market with licensed dispensaries for adults in Georgia. The more protected status of private use does not create a lawful retail-purchase system.
Can you carry marijuana from Tbilisi to Batumi?
Domestic travel is not an import, but transport still falls under rules on quantity and lawful possession.
Can you bring marijuana into Georgia by plane?
Import is governed by Article 262. A 2022 Constitutional Court decision limited the possibility of imprisonment for importing no more than 9.68 g of dried marijuana for personal use, but did not make such import lawful.
Can you grow cannabis at home for personal use in Georgia?
The court decisions decriminalizing use did not legalize cultivation. Article 265¹ separately provides liability for unlawful sowing, growing and cultivation.
Is medical marijuana legal in Georgia?
There is no broad dispensary-style program for cannabis flower. Certain controlled cannabinoid pharmaceutical substances may have a separate medical regime; dronabinol is listed in List II.
Is CBD oil legal in Georgia?
You should not assume that every CBD oil is automatically legal. Cannabis oil and extracts are controlled by law, and the legal status of a specific product depends on origin, composition, THC content and the rules governing import or supply.
What changed in Georgia's cannabis laws in 2025–2026?
In July 2025, the current small-quantity thresholds were established and the liability structure was revised. In 2026, the Constitutional Court addressed additional restrictions on rights and a separate case involving 0.1315 g of cannabis resin.
Is hashish / cannabis resin legal in Georgia?
Cannabis resin is regulated separately from plant-form marijuana and has its own quantity thresholds. The June 24, 2026 Constitutional Court decision removed the possibility of imprisonment in a specific case involving 0.1315 g for personal use, but did not legalize acquisition or possession of resin.