According to the Executive Secretary of the Georgian Dream, the majority leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Criminal Code will include mandatory treatment for drug crimes, but “in special cases.”

According to him, the judge will decide whether a person needs mandatory treatment.

“We have agreed that mandatory treatment should be included in the Criminal Code as a punishment, but this will be in special cases and it will be a category of criminal punishment. This will not be an administrative penalty, it will be a punishment prescribed in the criminal law norm.

In the event that a person is sentenced for a drug crime, perhaps in special cases, it will be within the discretion of the judge. It is also possible that the exercise of this discretion may be based on the conclusion of a narcological examination, along with the materials in the case, and the judge may decide that, in terms of caring for the health of this particular person, it would be good not only for private prevention, but also for general prevention, to impose this punishment along with another punishment. This is another topic for discussion. We will continue to discuss this.

Even the Strasbourg precedent allows us to do this, that in the event that a person poses a danger to himself, as well as to society and may need mandatory treatment, this decision may be made by the judge.

The law regarding marijuana is being tightened, only in terms of sale,” said Mdinaradze.