Imprisoned WNBA Player Brittany Griner Is Freed from Russia
Brittany Griner had been arrested in Moscow, Russia and sentenced to prison for cannabis possession, which is illegal in Russia.
On December 8th, 2022, American Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Brittney Griner was freed from prison in Russia and is back in the United States (1). Griner, a Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury professional basketball player, has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past several years during the offseason (2).
In February 2022, Griner was arrested at an airport in Moscow, Russia for possessing cannabis vape cannisters in her luggage (1). She was sentenced in August to nine years in a Russian prison, and her release was part of a prisoner exchange with Russia (1).
"I think this situation illustrates the degree to which cannabis policies and their enforcement are now largely a function of geography—both in the United States and abroad," said Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), in an interview with Newsweek (3).
"Whether the cannabis plant and those who consume it are either embraced or whether they are criminally targeted is a reflection of geographic boundaries," Armentano said (3). "Even in the United States, certain cannabis-related behaviors—such as the commercial cultivation and sale of cannabis—are legalized and applauded in some states while those same activities in another state can yield years or even life in prison."
References
- https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa
- https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/wnba-player-brittney-griner-release-from-russian-detention-in-prisoner-swap/
- https://www.newsweek.com/brittney-griner-ordeal-should-inspire-us-cannabis-law-changes-norml-1765794
Medical Cannabis Campaigning with Americans for Safe Access
September 4th 2024As discussions about the federal scheduling of cannabis continue, efforts by medical cannabis advocates are intensifying. One such advocate is Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nonprofit organization founded by patients for patients. Since 2002, ASA has been championing the rights of medical cannabis patients and has recently launched new campaigns and strategies to refocus attention on patient needs. In this interview, Steph Sherer, founder and president of ASA, reflects on past successes in medical cannabis advocacy, shares her perspective on recent cannabis and hemp policymaking, and outlines the next steps for advancing a unified medical cannabis message on Capitol Hill—a message that could bring about the changes patients have long awaited.
