Cocaine, MDMA, amphetamine in Georgia — amounts and penalties
In a cocaine, ecstasy or amphetamine case, the amount decides almost everything — and the thresholds are tiny: 0.6 g of cocaine is already a 'large amount'. Below is the law's official table and the penalties. In such a case you need a lawyer before the first interview.
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Obtaining or keeping a narcotic drug is punished under Article 260: above the small amount — up to 6 years in prison; a large amount — 5 to 8 years; especially large — 8 to 20 years or life. A small amount and use are an administrative offence — a GEL 500–2,000 fine or up to 60 days' detention. Ketamine and GHB are psychotropic substances, punished under Article 261.
New psychoactive substances — including what is sold as 'spice' or 'bio' — are treated separately: under Article 260 any amount is a crime, with up to 6 years in prison.
Amounts in grams
| Substance | Small | Large | Especially large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocaine | 0.06 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Ecstasy (MDMA) | 0.05 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Amphetamine | 0.005 | 0.1 | 1 |
| Methamphetamine | 0.005 | 0.1 | 1 |
| Mephedrone | 0.01 | 0.1 | 1 |
| 'Alpha' (α-PVP) | 0.001 | 0.2 | 1 |
| Hashish (cannabis resin) | 0.05 | 0.5 | 5 |
| LSD | 0.00002 | 0.0002 | 0.001 |
| Ketamine (psychotropic) | 0.1 | 1 | 3 |
| GHB (psychotropic) | 1 | 10 | 50 |
Up to the small amount — an administrative case; above it — a criminal case; the 'large' and 'especially large' columns mark the harsher penalty bands. The amount is set by a forensic examination — that is often where we find errors.
At a club or party
- Handing drugs to a friend, even for free, is a transfer (Article 260²) — 10 to 15 years; selling — 12 to 20 years or life
- Searches and tests must follow the legal procedure — ask for a lawyer
- A person punished for drug use loses their driving licence for 3 years
- Anyone who voluntarily hands drugs over before an investigation starts, reporting it in writing or by phone, is released from criminal liability
Our services
- Defence in cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamine cases
- Checking the forensic examination and amount
- Keeping or transfer — the right classification
- Lawfulness of the search and seizure
- New psychoactive substance cases
- Defending foreigners, with an interpreter
Questions & answers
How many grams of cocaine is a crime?
Up to 0.06 g is a small amount — an administrative case. Above 0.06 g it's a criminal case, above 0.6 g a large amount (5 to 8 years), above 2 g especially large (8 to 20 years or life).
How many ecstasy pills count as a large amount?
A large amount is 0.5 g of MDMA, and the MDMA content of a pill varies — the forensic examination establishes it. So even a few pills can count as a large amount.
How much 'spice' is a crime?
Any amount of a new psychoactive substance is a crime — up to 6 years in prison.
I'm a foreigner — what happens?
The rules are the same. You have the right to an interpreter and a lawyer; don't sign anything you don't understand. We work in English and Russian.
Legal basis
- Criminal Code of Georgia
- Law on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Precursors and Narcological Assistance
- Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia
Official texts (in Georgian) — Legislative Herald of Georgia, matsne.gov.ge.
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