TBILISI -- Georgia's Constitutional Court has abolished administrative punishments for the consumption of marijuana, making the Caucasus country the first former Soviet republic to legalize usage of the drug. The ruling by four senior court judges on July 30 concerns only the consumption of cannabis, while cultivation and selling remain a crime, the court said in its ruling. "According to the applicants [Zurab Japaridze and Vakhtang Megrelishvili], the consumption of marijuana is not an act of social threat. In particular, it can only harm the user's health, making that user him/herself responsible for the outcome. The responsibility for such actions does not cause dangerous consequences for the public," the court said. Due to the above, the punishment for consumption of marijuana is disproportionate.”

The court takes into account certain exceptions for today's decision in cases when the use of marijuana creates threats to third parties. For instance, the Court will justify responsibility when marijuana is consumed in educational institutions, public places, such as on public transport, and in the presence of children”, stated the Court. Japaridze told reporters the ruling was a victory for a freer Georgia. READ MORE: 'Completely Out of Control': Danish Parties Call for Legalization of Cannabis

Weed consumption became legal in Georgia last year, as the constitutional court only with administrative fines as the only punishment for its use, however, activists demanded those penalties to be removed.
Following a campaign led by Georgian politician Zurab Japaridze, the Constitutional Court of Georgia legalizes cannabis for recreational use. Georgia is the first former Soviet Republic to fully legalize the drug, with it also being decriminalized in Russia, Ukraine and Estonia.