The cannabis case of Brittney Griner has been updated. According to the Washington Post, she is currently serving a sentence of five years in prison after a jury convicted her of using marijuana. Her defense team is claiming she has been prescribed the drug for pain. They also say they will appeal the verdict.
Defense Lawyers Say They Will Appeal The Verdict
Brittney Griner’s defense lawyers say they will appeal the nine-year sentence she was given in Russia. The Phoenix Mercury star was convicted of bringing cannabis oil into the country.
The case has been surrounded by controversy. Griner was accused of carrying hashish oil in her luggage. She had no criminal intent, her attorneys said, and she was merely mistaken.
Griner’s conviction has led to a major international backlash, and the White House and the Biden-Harris Administration have been attempting to secure her release. They recently tried to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Russia.
A former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, has been working with Griner’s organization to help her. One of the offers the administration made was to exchange Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year sentence in the United States.
The offer was deemed “significant” by the White House. However, a spokesperson for the Griner case says that the case may not be a “slam dunk.”
The Griner’s defense team has said that the appeal will be based on the alleged violations in the investigation. Some of the case files weren’t translated. Several weeks ago, ESPN reported that it can take weeks to transfer a prisoner, so the timetable for the transfer is unclear.
She Was Prescribed Cannabis to Treat Pain
It’s been nearly two months since WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on charges of drug smuggling. She’s pleaded guilty, but the judge has yet to decide whether she will serve a 10-year prison sentence.
The case is currently going through the Russian court system, where a large number of defendants are found guilty. A prosecutor accused Griner of carrying “a significant amount of narcotic substance,” but she said she accidentally brought in only a gram.
Griner’s lawyers have argued that she had permission from her doctor to use medical cannabis to treat chronic pain. They referred to a letter from her doctor that outlined her pain management treatment and the benefits of cannabis.
However, Russian authorities have argued that Griner was acting out of criminal intent when she imported the drugs. Customs officials found cannabis oil and vape cartridges in Griner’s bags.
Griner’s lawyers argue that the marijuana products were legally prescribed to her by her US doctor. They have also submitted anti-doping tests to the Russian court showing that no substances were banned.
She Has a Doctor’s Note Recommending She Use it as a Pain Treatment
The White House is pursuing every avenue to bring WNBA superstar Brittney Griner home from her five-month jail stint in Russia. Griner is one of only two American citizens known to be imprisoned in Russia. She was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on charges of carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.
Her lawyers claim she had no intention of bringing illegally-sourced hashish into the country. But Griner has since admitted she did have vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage when she appeared in court.
Griner’s lawyers also point to a doctor’s note recommending she use cannabis to treat chronic pain. They hope a plethora of evidence will help the case.
Griner is a seven-time All-Star for the Phoenix Mercury and has played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team in Russia. Her teammates have spoken out in support of their friend. One of her teammates, Yevgenia Belyakova, is a former team captain. In a letter to President Biden, Griner asked for assistance in her quest to get out of Russia.
White House Offered to Swap Her For a Russian Prisoner
The White House has offered to swap WNBA star Brittney Griner for a Russian prisoner. It is believed that the Biden administration offered the deal, but the department of Justice has strongly opposed the idea.
Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony for drug offenses. She was arrested during a period of high tension and was detained for nine months. Her arrest came just before Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine.
During the war, the United States issued severe sanctions against Russia, and the State Department urged Americans to leave Russia. However, negotiations with the Russians were blocked for months.
Griner, a Houston resident, was arrested in February. She was transferred to Moscow “couple of days ago” from the penal colony.
Griner was then convicted of possession of cannabis oil. She pleaded guilty and was sent to a remote penal colony. In July, she was sent to prison and her trial date was delayed for six months.
