Advocates Demand Biden Take Marijuana Action
After Brittney Griner Sentenced To Nine Years In Russian Prison For Vapes
American basketball player Brittney Griner was been sentenced on Thursday to nine years in Russian prison after being found guilty of possessing cannabis vape cartridges.
The case has captured international attention, placed pressure on the White House to secure her release and prompted calls from advocates and lawmakers to reform U.S. marijuana laws that similarly criminalize people over cannabis.
In a statement on Thursday, President Joe Biden said that Griner’s sentencing “is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney.” The State Department classified Griner as a “wrongfully detained” person and maintained that designation even after she pleaded guilty to the cannabis possession charge.
“It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” Biden said. “My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan [who is serving a 16-year sentence over alleged espionage in Russia] home safely as soon as possible.”
Today’s sentencing of Griner underscores the need for domestic cannabis reform,” Martiza Perez, director of the office of federal affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, told Marijuana Moment. “The U.S. is responsible for exporting the drug war across the globe. It still arrests, incarcerates, and deports people for low-level cannabis arrests and convictions.”
“This makes it incredibly challenging to protect U.S. citizens abroad. We cannot stand on a moral or legal high ground because we don’t have it,” Perez said. “The US must end marijuana prohibition and remedy the harms of mass cannabis criminalization.”
