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Georgia registered more than 200 drug-related crimes involving Russian citizens in the first nine months of 2026, following stricter drug laws enacted in 2025. One Russian emigrant, musician Masha Ova, is serving a two-year sentence after a marijuana case that her friend and lawyer say involved a disputed quantity and allegations of aiding distribution.
Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office registered more than 200 drug-related crimes involving Russian citizens in the first nine months of 2026, according to a Meduza report, as some Russian emigrants face prison under drug laws tightened in 2025. One of them, musician Masha Ova, is serving a two-year sentence after police found marijuana at her home, though her lawyer says the amount recorded in the case file was disputed.
Ova’s friend, identified by Meduza as Kristina, said police detained Ova in early May 2026 after searching her Tbilisi apartment. Kristina said officers found four grams of marijuana. Ova’s lawyer, David Lagadze, told Meduza that the case file later listed 9.5 grams. Lagadze said Ova chose not to challenge the recorded amount because she feared doing so could worsen her position.
Kristina described Ova as a “helper” who sometimes bought marijuana for friends and took a cut. She said Ova admitted guilt. Lagadze told Meduza that police also seized scales bearing traces of narcotic substances, and said courts in such cases find people guilty of aiding distribution regardless of the amount of drugs seized. The report says Ova received a two-year prison sentence and is being held in a women’s prison in Rustavi.
The case comes after Georgia changed its drug laws in 2025. Under the revised Criminal Code, possession of a large quantity of marijuana can carry five to eight years in prison, compared with a maximum of two years under the earlier provision. A new criminal offense covers aiding distribution. These penalties apply to residents and visitors, including foreign nationals.
How the Penalties Changed
The reported cases matter because the 2025 changes raised the potential consequences of marijuana-related conduct that some emigrants may have understood as lower risk. Georgia had allowed marijuana use in limited circumstances following legal changes in 2018, and possession or acquisition had often not led to prison. But the revised laws expanded the scope of criminal penalties, according to the report, meaning that past assumptions about enforcement may no longer reflect current law.
The available figures also show the scale of reported cases involving Russian citizens, but they do not establish how many people were convicted, imprisoned, or accused specifically of marijuana offenses. Meduza says some Russian citizens are already serving time. The change carries particular consequences for foreign residents and visitors who may face criminal proceedings under Georgian law while living away from their home country.
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Georgia’s 2025 Drug Law Overhaul
Georgia tightened its drug rules in two stages during 2025. In April, lawmakers increased penalties under Article 45 of the Administrative Offenses Code, which covers small quantities of drugs, and introduced liability for refusing a drug test. In July, lawmakers removed the former Criminal Code provision on cannabis or marijuana plants in large and especially large quantities. Such offenses were moved under Article 260, which carries tougher penalties.
Under the definitions included in the report, a large quantity of dried marijuana is more than five grams and up to 70 grams; for raw marijuana, the range is more than 10 grams and up to 140 grams. Amounts beyond those limits are classified as especially large. The revised law also created a separate offense for aiding distribution. Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party presented the changes as a response to the effects of liberal drug policy and the spread of what officials called “hybrid cannabis strains.”
The Social Justice Center, a Georgian human rights organization cited by Meduza, said a major effect of the amendments was to restore the possibility of prison sentences for acquiring, possessing, or growing large amounts of marijuana for personal use. The changes also followed years of Constitutional Court rulings that had reduced penalties for marijuana-related offenses.
““In such cases, Georgian courts already find a person guilty of aiding distribution, regardless of the amount of drugs seized from them.””
— David Lagadze, Ova’s lawyer, speaking to Meduza
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Disputed Amounts and Case Totals
The account of Ova’s arrest and the amount of marijuana comes from her friend and lawyer as reported by Meduza. The lawyer says police found four grams, while the case file listed 9.5 grams; the report does not include a response from prosecutors or a detailed court judgment resolving that discrepancy. It also does not provide the full evidence or explain the legal reasoning behind Ova’s sentence.
The figure of more than 200 drug-related crimes is attributed to Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office and covers Russian citizens during the first nine months of 2026. The report does not specify how many cases concerned marijuana, how many involved allegations of aiding distribution, or how many ended in convictions or prison sentences. It is also unclear how many Russian citizens are currently detained or serving sentences in Georgia.
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What the Case Record Shows
The report does not identify a scheduled appeal or another upcoming court date in Ova’s case. Her lawyer told Meduza that she decided not to dispute the amount listed in the case file, but further details about the sentence, the court’s reasoning, or any later legal challenge were not provided.
Further information from Georgian authorities could clarify how the 2025 provisions are being used and how many of the reported cases have led to convictions. For now, the confirmed picture is limited: authorities recorded more than 200 drug-related crimes involving Russian citizens in January–September 2026, and at least some people are serving prison sentences under the stricter legal framework.
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Key Questions
What changed in Georgia’s drug laws in 2025?
Georgia increased penalties in stages. The revised Criminal Code moved large-quantity marijuana offenses under Article 260, which can carry five to eight years in prison, and established a separate offense for aiding distribution.
How many cases involving Russian citizens were reported?
Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office registered more than 200 drug-related crimes involving Russian citizens in the first nine months of 2026, according to Meduza. The report does not say how many were marijuana cases or convictions.
Why is Masha Ova in prison?
Meduza reports that Ova is serving a two-year sentence after a marijuana case involving alleged aiding of distribution. Her friend said police found four grams at Ova’s home; her lawyer said the case file recorded 9.5 grams.
Is marijuana use legal in Georgia?
The report says Georgia has effectively allowed marijuana use since 2018, but the 2025 amendments strengthened penalties for related offenses, including possession of large quantities and aiding distribution. The rules apply to visitors as well as residents.
Source: rss
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