格鲁吉亚批准大麻合法化

Georgia Is First Former Soviet¹ Republic to Legalize Marijuana Use

Georgia has become the first former member of the Soviet Union to legalize use of marijuana. Yet Georgians are still barred from growing, storing or selling the drug.

Georgia’s constitutional court ruled on marijuana late last month. The court said in a statement that marijuana use is an act "guaranteed by the right of free self-development.”

The statement added that there are still some situations in which using the drug would be illegal. These are situations where marijuana presents “a threat to third persons,” the court said. This would include use in schools, some public spaces and public transportation, as well as when children are present.

The ruling resulted from a case brought by activists² of Georgia’s Girchi party. One of those activists is Zurab Japaridze, a former lawmaker. Georgians remember seeing images of him planting marijuana seeds in a televised broadcast of a New Year’s Eve event in 2016.

The Girchi party had long campaigned for the legalization of marijuana. Japaridze called the court’s ruling a “big victory” that was years in the making. “This wasn't a fight for cannabis. This was a fight for freedom,” he told reporters.

In November 2017, the Constitutional Court decriminalized the use of marijuana and other forms of cannabis-based drugs. But it kept in place a non-jail punishment for marijuana use, a $200 fine.

Rights activists say the Georgian government has used drug enforcement policies to justify³ extreme policing methods at popular nightspots. In May, thousands of people demonstrated for several days in the capital, Tbilisi, to protest such police activities.

Leaders of Georgia's Orthodox Church strongly condemned⁴ the court’s marijuana ruling as a “traitorous⁵ decision.”

“The four judges are making disastrous⁶ decisions, ignoring the will of 4 million people," said Archbishop Andria. The church official called for the removal of the judges who decided⁷ the case.

But other Georgians who would like an easing of drug policies felt the ruling went too far. The head of a health care committee in parliament told reporters he thinks the use of marijuana should only be legalized for medical purposes.

"Our aim was not to make marijuana accessible for everyone, but to reduce the number of drug addicts⁹.”

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

cannabis – n. a plant used to produce hemp¹⁰ as a drug or for other products

decriminalize – v. change the law to make something no longer illegal

traitorous – adj. not loyal to your own country, social group or beliefs

nightspot – n. a business that serves food and alcoholic¹¹ drinks, and provides music and a place for dancing

accessible – adj. easy to find or reach

addict⁸ – n. person who cannot stop taking drugs, alcohol or other substances

1 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 traitorous   

adj. 叛国的, 不忠的, 背信弃义的

参考例句：

• All traitorous persons and cliques came to no good end. 所有的叛徒及叛徒集团都没好下场。
• Most of the time I keep such traitorous thoughts to myself. 这种叛逆思想我不大向别人暴露。

6 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

9 addicts   

有…瘾的人( addict的名词复数 )； 入迷的人

参考例句：

• a unit for rehabilitating drug addicts 帮助吸毒者恢复正常生活的机构
• There is counseling to help Internet addicts?even online. 有咨询机构帮助网络沉迷者。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

10 hemp   

n.大麻；纤维

参考例句：

• The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。
• The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。

11 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。