**Government Changes Stance on Cannabis, Critics Say**
A few years ago, a draft law was introduced in Georgia to establish cannabis plantations across the country. Now, the same people are pushing for even stricter laws.
Nugzar Tsiklauri, leader of the “Coalition for Change,” says this is hypocrisy from the government. He claims that the changes announced by the ruling party, “Georgian Dream,” are just a way to crack down on opponents and protesters.
**”Political Hypocrisy”**
Tsiklauri stated that the government thinks people have forgotten their previous stance on cannabis. They were once planning to clear other crops to make room for cannabis plantations. Now, they’re talking about stricter laws without offering any rehabilitation measures.
“This package of bills is just a way to create more punitive measures against people with different views,” Tsiklauri said. “The legislation is already strict enough to detain people who distribute drugs. But the stick always breaks on the users, not the so-called drug dealers.”
**Opposition Parties Unite**
Tsiklauri also spoke about the coordination of opposition parties around Salome Zourabichvili. He says this is just a way for them to unite their efforts on specific issues, not a merger of parties or the foundation of an electoral bloc.
“This will give more energy to the protest movement in the country,” Tsiklauri said.
**Volcano of Protest**
Regarding the ongoing protests in the country, Nugzar Tsiklauri compares the situation to a volcano. He says that when political events demand it, hundreds of thousands of people will appear on Rustaveli Avenue.
“The government should not count heads, but we can clearly see that they’re doing nothing except for this,” Tsiklauri said. “As soon as political events demand it, hundreds of thousands of people will appear. Georgia is like a crater.”
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