Marijuana dilemma

Parliament’s legal committee has partially supported the initiative of the opposition United National Movement MP Goga Khachidze concerning the decriminalization of marijuana.

Those using marijuana will not be sent to prison through the solution of the committee. However, using the drug will remain a crime, but people using it will become subject to a more lenient punishment.

Law-enforcers were against the approval as, according to them, the solution would increase the number of drug keepers and users.

Responding to the proposal, Khachidze said that in such cases, the police could act within its responsibility.

It should be stressed that several, small-grouped rallies had been held in the capital Tbilisi to protest the law envisaging sending marihuana users to prison.

Of course, the law should not be as strict to marijuana addicts or lovers as to murderers, but a balance should be kept.

One of the main problems of Georgians - and not only Georgians - is that we do not exactly know what freedom is.

In the whole world, gradually, freedom of expression is moving to absurd.

Freedom is not an absolute concept, as the main meaning of it is that “our freedom ends where the freedom of others start.”

There were several people at the marihuana-decriminalization rally who stated that they wanted to smoke marijuana freely in the street, in the gardens and parks, in places where people walk and rest every day.

As everybody knows, after smoking marijuana people are not in their natural condition, they are in a high mood, laugh and sometimes do such things they do not generally do when they are sober.

Thus, in such condition he/she might commit such things that violates others freedom of expression.

In conclusion, it would be welcomed if the government, NGOs and other institutions capable for this to hold various campaigns informing people what freedom of expression is.

In addition, the relevant bodies should also be careful of a loyal attitude to a certain action not to encourage heavier crimes.

Sometimes a nation is not mature enough to administer true justice.