Marijuana Laws
As recorded December 15, 2025 · not verified as current law. The Republic of Georgia law
Cannabis laws in Tbilisi follow The Republic of Georgia’s national law. City pages reflect the same jurisdiction-wide cannabis framework; local ordinances typically do not override it.
Personal consumption of cannabis is not criminalized. Possession is permitted in small amounts for personal use, but larger quantities can carry criminal penalties under recent laws. Sale and distribution remain illegal, with legal risk for travelers.
Quick facts
- Recreational: Personal consumption not criminalized
- Medical: Not separately regulated
- Possession: Small personal amounts permitted; limits enforced
- Buying/Selling: Illegal
- Tourists: Subject to possession limits and enforcement
Practical guidance
Avoid cross-border transport of cannabis products. Do not assume informal tolerance equals legality.
Legislative Background
Georgia's Constitutional Court ruled in 2018 that criminal penalties for personal cannabis consumption violate privacy rights, effectively decriminalizing private use. Possession of small amounts for personal purposes is not prosecuted as a criminal offense (though administrative fines may apply for public use), marking one of Europe's most liberal personal-use policies, while sales and larger quantities remain illegal.
Law Enforcement
DO NOT TRY TO BRIBE. After the revolution, the new president overhauled the police, and the expectation was that they wouldn’t take bribes. There was even talk of bluffing that you were a diplomat. That gives you no actual privileges.
Where to Buy Marijuana
Street sales were practically nonexistent. You needed to know a local who smoked and bought regularly. The dealers didn’t want to meet, so the weed might go through at least two people before it got to you.
“Be prepared to wait at least four hours before you get the shit,” though sometimes it went faster. Once you knew someone it was easy rolling. I wouldn’t go looking for dealers on my own. “They’re not the friendly hippie pot dealer you find in the US.”
Out in the villages, locals sometimes offered larger amounts at low prices. In the countryside you’d hear to look underfoot for a delightful surprise. The wild stuff was smokable, but I found it took more to get the same high.
Marijuana Prices
Usually $20–30, $40 at most for about a matchbox’s worth. There was no fixed weight. If people were smoking around you, they might just share.
Georgians look after their guests. With a friendly introduction you might be smoking for free.
Types of Marijuana
There weren’t specific strain names. Most of what I came across was outdoor weed, sometimes mass-grown, and people smoked the leaves too. It wasn’t what I was used to in the States. The better stuff came from Guria and Svaneti, grown on little farms or tucked away somewhere discreet.
There’s also managua, a condensed-milk drink made with wild cannabis, the kind that grows in different parts of the country. “This is something crazy.” For me the visuals got VERY intense after about an hour.
More Information
The homemade managua version called for at least two whole plants of weak weed, boiled for about five minutes, with baking soda added on the theory that it helped extract THC. Condensed milk was optional for flavor. Then the plant matter was removed and the liquid strained through something with small holes. The baking-soda claim is unverified, and there’s no measured serving size.