I am a tourist here for just 5 days — do I really need to know all this?

Briefly — yes, but not all of it. Sorted by importance for a short trip.

Must-know:

• Carry your passport at all times. A copy on your phone does not count. There is no fine for lacking a passport, but during a check without a document you can be held for up to 30 minutes for identification, and if your data cannot be verified against the databases — transported to the station.
• Three obligations at a stop: state your name, show your passport, allow a hand across your clothes. Everything else is optional.
• The 30-minute rule. They cannot hold you longer without moving to a different procedure.
• What to do at a seizure. Silence, and a demand for a lawyer. Even if it is over-the-counter vitamins from a supermarket — do not explain where, why, or what for.

You can skip (irrelevant for 5 days):

• The fine detail of residence permits, migration control, employment.
• The Legal Aid Service (1485) — it only kicks in with administrative detention.

Tourist-specific:

• Checks in tourist zones (Old Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Batumi seaside) are on average more polite — the patrol is aware of the tourism image of the country.
• If you are being taken to the station or "serious" processing begins — call your embassy or consulate immediately. Save the number in your phone in advance. A diplomatic call often defuses the situation faster than any argument.
• Drug rules in Georgia are strict. No "brought from home" prescription pills without a doctor's certificate. No "trying local stuff": marijuana is decriminalised for consumption, but not for possession; the criminal threshold begins very early (grams).

Over 5 days the chance of a serious check is low. But if it happens — bookmark this site, and re-read the article "The police stopped me on the street" before leaving the hotel on your first day.