# Russian emigrants thought marijuana use was safe in Georgia. Now some face years behind bars.

https://mins.news/en/item/103080

- Meduza, 2026-10-16 12:39 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/16/russian-emigrants-thought-marijuana-use-was-safe-in-georgia-now-some-are-facing-years-behind-bars

> Georgia effectively allowed legal marijuana use from 2018, but authorities tightened drug laws in 2025. In the first nine months of 2026, prosecutors registered more than 200 drug-related crimes by Russian citizens. Russian emigrant Masha Ova is serving a two-year sentence in a women’s prison in Rustavi for aiding distribution; her lawyer says police found marijuana and scales bearing traces of narcotics at her home.