American Basketball Star Brittney Griner’s Cannabis Arrest In Russia Prompts Top U.S. Officials To Speak Out

Weeks after it was disclosed that American professional basketball player Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia over alleged possession of cannabis vape cartridges, top federal officials and lawmakers are stepping up pressure for a release—even as tensions amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine continue to escalate and despite the fact that marijuana’s federally illegal status in the U.S. continues to incarcerate people over the plant.

The WNBA player was reportedly caught with cannabis oil at an airport in Moscow last month. She was detained and is currently being held in a pretrial detention facility. Last week her detention was extended two months, until May 19, as Russian prosecutors build a case against her. Only recently have U.S. officials started to apply pressure for release and return amid a growing chorus of criticism from lawmakers and advocates.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Friday that while “there’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point, let me just say more generally, whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.”

Blinken also suggested that Russia is violating international law by not providing American officials with direct access to Griner.

“The Russians are required to give us that access. They have not—it has been denied,” he said. “So we are working very hard on getting it, on being able to get access to her, to hear directly from her how she’s doing, and to make sure we’re doing everything we can to see to it that her rights are being respected and upheld in the Russian system and in terms of international law.”

On Brittney Griner, @StateDeptSpox: “We're deeply concerned about this case, in part because we've not yet been granted consular access…Russia has an obligation under the Vienna Convention…to allow our officials to see her. We're going to continue to press for that.” #AMRstaff

— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) March 17, 2022

A State Department spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal last week that U.S. officials are “closely engaged on this case and in frequent contact with Brittney Griner’s legal team.”

The circumstances behind Griner’s case are complicated for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Russia is facing nearly global condemnation as it carries out attacks in neighboring Ukraine, leaving countless civilians and fighters dead in its push to seize control of regions of the country.

But with increased awareness of the basketball star’s cannabis detention has come increased condemnation from key officials, lawmakers and advocates.

We cannot ignore the fact that if Brittney Griner wasn’t a Black woman, it would be plastered across the news that she is being held as a political prisoner in Russia.

Free Brittney Griner.

— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) March 17, 2022

Top Democrats on the Congressional Black Caucus also recently said that they are “intensely engaged” in talks about Griner’s arrest and possible avenues for relief.

“Let me be very clear: Brittney Griner is a United States citizen,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said at a briefing early this month. “She was a guest in Russia with the WNBA—and I will be demanding her release.” She added that “the fight is on,” according to Politico.

“We’ve got our boxing gloves on, because we’re not going to leave her without any ammunition,” the congresswoman said.

When asked about Griner’s case at a press conference earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki declined to comment on the “specifics” of the case, citing Privacy Act waiver requirements. “But the objective is always to bring American citizens home who are detained in foreign countries,” she said.

Today theGrio's White House correspondent, April Ryan, inquired about an update on how the Biden admin. plans to bring WNBA star, Brittney Griner, back to the U.S. Griner remains detained in Russian jail after being stopped at an airport, allegedly in possession of cannabis oil. pic.twitter.com/jMtUiROEpT

— theGrio.com (@theGrio) March 11, 2022

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also weighed in on the matter on social media, tweeting, simply, “Free Brittney.”

Free Brittney. https://t.co/wqQrye2T3J

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 16, 2022

Two other members of Congress—Reps. Burgess Owens (R-UT) and Byron Donalds (D-FL)—also sent a letter to the Biden administration urging action to resolve Griner’s case.

The athlete “remains in a Russian prison for violating the country’s illegal substance laws.”

“Every American—regardless of their race, gender, or socioeconomic status—must adhere to the rules of every sovereign nation,” they said. “While we are not here to call balls and strikes on Russian law, we are very concerned about Mrs. Griner’s detention under the current and rapidly deteriorating circumstances in Russia and Eastern Europe.”

“As the situation in Russia and Ukraine continues to deteriorate rapidly, we are deeply troubled by the Russian’s handling of the unfortunate case regarding Brittney Griner. Mrs. Griner made a mistake in violating Russia’s illegal substance laws, but her crime doesn’t match the unjust punishment she faces as a pawn of the Russian government. As Putin runs his country into the ground, the United States government must ensure that no American falls hostage to a heinous and deranged dictator.”

Griner allegedly broke Russian law because marijuana is illegal is Russia—and the country has taken a particularly strong stance against reforming cannabis policy at the international level through the United Nations. And it condemned Canada for legalizing marijuana nationwide.

The deputy of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this month that legalization efforts in the U.S. and Canada are matters “of serious concern for us,” according to a social media post from the office’s official account. “It is worrisome that several Member States of the [European Union] are considering violating their drug control obligations.”

💬Deputy FM #Syromolotov: Legalization of free distribution of cannabis in the #US & #Canada is a matter of serious concern for us. It is worrisome that several Member States of the #EU are considering violating their drug control obligations.

👉https://t.co/3DDKgcUuVdpic.twitter.com/pVaeJIUKqv

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) March 14, 2022

But as more people voice support for her release and condemn Russia for holding her and extending her detention, it can’t be ignored that Griner could similarly face prosecution for possessing cannabis oil under U.S. federal law.

“Brittney Griner’s imprisonment is a grotesque affront to the concept of justice. It is an unfortunate reminder of how draconic marijuana laws remain around the globe,” Erik Altieri, executive director of NORML, told Marijuana Moment. “However, it should also cause a level of reflection amongst our lawmakers considering that a large number of states still inflict similar penalties for marijuana possession on our own soil and the current federal policy of marijuana prohibition isn’t notably different than the stance held by Putin’s regime in Russia.”

“Elected officials in the United States should do all they can to free Griner, but just as important, use this as motivation to bring our domestic marijuana policies in line with our nation’s stated principles of liberty and justice,” he said.

Griner’s situation is precarious, especially in the current political climate. But there are some who are encouraged by the increased attention to the case, expressing optimism that it could open the door for relief for other Americans who are being detained in Russia for unrelated reasons—or could even increase pressure on the Biden administration to reform cannabis laws to display a greater contrast with Russian policy on the plant.

Ann Arbor Could Decriminalize Drugs With Student-Led Effort

Photo courtesy of Lorie Shaull/Wikimedia.

United Nations Removes Marijuana From Most Strict Global Drug Category, With U.S. Support

A key United Nations (UN) panel approved a World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to remove marijuana from the most restrictive global scheduling category on Wednesday.

With the backing of the U.S. government, the UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) adopted the proposal to delete cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention.

This doesn’t mean that member nations are cleared to legalize marijuana, however, as it remains under the separate Schedule I of the international drug control system. But advocates say it demonstrates an evolution in how the international community views cannabis policy, as it formally recognizes the medical value of the plant and it could promote further research into its therapeutic potential.

WHO made six recommendations on global cannabis policy last year—and CND has held numerous meetings on the proposals. After numerous meetings and delays, members finally held votes at a meeting this week.

The proposal to remove marijuana from Schedule IV was arguably the most consequential of the reforms, and is the only one that was approved. (The international scheduling system differs from that of the U.S. in that the country’s most restrictive category is Schedule I.)

Here’s a rundown of the votes on the WHO’s cannabis recommendations:

APPROVED: Remove marijuana from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention.

REJECTED: Add THC and dronabinol (synthetic or plant-derived THC medication) to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention and, if approved, delete them from Schedule II of the 1971 Convention.

REJECTED: If the second recommendation is adopted, add tetrahydrocannabinol to Schedule I of the 1961 Convention and, if approved, delete it from Schedule I of the 1971 Convention.

REJECTED: Delete “extracts and tinctures of cannabis” from Schedule I of the 1961 Convention.

REJECTED: Add footnote to clarify that CBD products containing no more than 0.2 percent THC are not subject to international control.

REJECTED: Add “preparations containing dronabinol” to Schedule III of the 1961 Convention.

The vote to move cannabis out of its restrictive scheduling status was close, with 27 countries in favor, 25 against and one abstention.

“The vote of the United States to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the Single Convention while retaining them in Schedule I is consistent with the science demonstrating that while a safe and effective cannabis-derived therapeutic has been developed, cannabis itself continues to pose significant risks to public health and should continue to be controlled under the international drug control conventions,” the U.S. delegation said in a statement.

“Further, this action has the potential to stimulate global research into the therapeutic potential and public health effects of cannabis, and to attract additional investigators to the field, including those who may have been deterred by the Schedule IV status of cannabis,” the country added.

#EU supports successful vote at @CND_tweets to recognise potential therapeutic value of #cannabis

Read here the full Explanation of #CND vote on @WHO scheduling recommendations on cannabis and cannabis-related substances: https://t.co/lNAG9WaM6Mpic.twitter.com/VrdiHYCLCw

— EU Delegation Vienna 🇪🇺 (@euunvie) December 2, 2020

Russia, China and Pakistan were among those nations that opposed the reform.

🇷🇺Russia voted against all @WHO/ECDD recommendations on cannabis and cannabis-related substances. Half of the CND membership shares the same position. pic.twitter.com/Ep8m1gfnxt

— Russian Mission Vienna (@mission_rf) December 2, 2020

Advocates cheered the move while saying it doesn’t go far enough.

“After six decades since its placement into the strictest international category, and three years of review, the UN has finally made the decision to recognize the therapeutic value of cannabis,” Steph Sherer, president and founder of Americans for Safe Access and the International Medical Cannabis Patients Coalition, said in a press release. “This is a momentous occasion for cannabis advocates everywhere who have been fighting for this change for many years.

Ann Fordham, executive director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, welcomed the “long overdue recognition that cannabis is a medicine” from the international body.

“However, this reform alone is far from adequate given that cannabis remains incorrectly scheduled at the international level,” she said. “The original decision to prohibit cannabis lacked scientific basis and was rooted in colonial prejudice and racism. It disregarded the rights and traditions of communities that have been growing and using cannabis for medicinal, therapeutic, religious and cultural purposes for centuries and has led to millions being criminalized and incarcerated across the globe. The review process has been a missed opportunity to correct that historical error.”

Here's how the 53 member states in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted on the WHO recommendation to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 single convention – finally acknowledging its medicinal and therapeutic utility

HT @jfernandezochoa@IDPCAsiapic.twitter.com/26lTMSpFdX

— TransformDrugPolicy (@TransformDrugs) December 2, 2020

The U.S. said in October that it would be supporting the WHO recommendation to remove cannabis from the restrictive global drug scheduling category—though it was opposing the other cannabis reform proposals, including the one to clarify that CBD is not under international control.

Despite supporting the main scheduling recommendation, however, the country circulated a proposed joint statement to other member states that claimed consensus on the notion “that cannabis is properly subject to the full scope of international controls of the 1961 Single Convention, due in particular to the high rates of public health problems arising from cannabis use and the global extent of such problems, as identified in the critical review by WHO.”

It also stipulates that “no Party shall be precluded from adopting measures of control more strict or severe than those required as a result of this decision, if such measures in its opinion are necessary or desirable for the protection of the public health or welfare.” The language seems to attempt to leave room for countries to continue enforcing more restrictive cannabis policies regardless of international rules.

While the WHO’s CBD recommendation would simply offer clarification that cannabidiol products containing no more than 0.2 percent THC isn’t a controlled substance under international treaties, the U.S. and the vast majority of other countries voted against the measure.

“This recommendation to give effect to a state of affairs which already exists therefore breaks from past procedure and intrudes on the treaty-based mandate of the CND to make recommendations for the implementation of the aims and provisions of the drug control conventions,” the U.S. said in explaining its vote. “Additionally, adoption of the proposed footnote would have in effect amended the Single Convention by creating a new category of preparations wholly excluded from control.”

“The treaties give significant flexibility to allow Member States to design drug control polices that reflect their national realities,” the country added. “We believe the Member States are capable of determining for themselves what should be considered a ‘pure’ cannabidiol preparation for domestic enforcement purposes, based on analytical capacity, abuse liability, and prioritization of prosecutorial resources.”

The U.S.’s support for the separate recommendation to remove marijuana from Schedule IV represents a departure from its position as articulated in a government document that Marijuana Moment obtained earlier this year. The document stated that it’s “possible that civil society, the media, and the general public will view deleting cannabis from Schedule IV as a first step toward widespread legalization of marijuana use, especially without proper messaging.”

If the recommendation on CBD had been adopted, it could have had far-reaching implications in the U.S. In 2018, the FDA determined that CBD does not meet the criteria for federal control—except for the fact that international treaties to which the U.S. is party could potentially be construed as requiring it.

FDA has on several occasions solicited public input to shape the government’s position on the international scheduling of marijuana and cannabinoids. The agency initially requested feedback on the proposal in March 2019 and then reopened that comment period five months later.

GOP Lawmakers Slam Marijuana Legalization Vote Planned In Congress This Week

Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.

Finland’s Government Will Consider Decriminalizing Marijuana In Response To Citizen Petition

Finland’s government will soon consider decriminalizing the possession and cultivation of marijuana for personal use after advocates garnered more than the required 50,000 petition signatures to trigger a review by Parliament.

The proposals stipulates that possession of 25 grams or less of cannabis, and the cultivation of up to four plants, would not carry criminal penalties.

Only one plant could be dried at a time, as a typical plant yields about as much cannabis as would be permitted for personal possession under the petition.

Kasvua Kannabiksesta, the group behind the measure, started the signature gathering process in May, but it amassed most of its signatures in the last month, crediting a social media campaign for the success, according to Yle.

Yesterday our campaign in Finland reached historical 50 thousand signatures for a #cannabis#decriminalisation referendum. Which means it has to be at least discussed in the parliament, hopefully turned into a law.

Happened on @UN Day.

While #Finland is the #EU president.

— KasvuaKannabiksesta2020 (@KasvuaK) October 25, 2019

“People usually leave things to the last minute. We’ve been promoting this recently and getting our message out on social media,” activist Janne Karvinen said. “There’s certainly more than 50,000—or even more than 100,000—people in Finland who support this issue.”

The measure calls for new penalties for individuals who consume marijuana in a public space where children are present.

“Current policies have not succeeded in achieving their goal of harm reduction,” a translated explanation of the petition states. “The prohibition on the use and possession of cannabis is mainly motivated by the creation of anti-drug [propaganda]. In practice, only a minority of users are randomly targeted by [prohibition]. Maintaining it wastes police resources and harms users.”

Imposing criminal penalties, even minor ones, on cannabis consumers is harmful because misdemeanor offenses stay on people’s records, the advocates said. They also cited Portugal’s broader drug decriminalization model as an example of effective policy that has reduced overdoses and rates of HIV.

The group also said that simply decriminalizing marijuana, rather than legalizing it, means that Finland would remain compliant with United Nations (UN) obligations that technically prohibit member nations from allowing cannabis to be lawfully regulated and sold—though those international treaties have not stopped countries like Canada and Uruguay from enacting legalization as a practical matter.

“Decriminalization means the remove of the criminal record of an act that is illegal and punishable,” the proposal says. “In decriminalization, the ban on an act may not be completely abolished or made legal, but the punishment for the act will be abolished or the act will be transformed into a mere offense, for example, a fine.”

In any case, just because Finnish lawmakers are now required to formally debate and consider decriminalization does not necessarily mean that they will enact it.

That said, there’s growing interest in pursuing decriminalization across the globe, including for drugs other than cannabis. Scotland’s ruling party voted unanimously in favor of a resolution calling for the removal of criminal penalties for drug possession in this month. A top lawmaker in Mexico endorsed going further by legalizing all drugs as a means to curb cartel violence. And a committee in the United Kingdom also issued a report in favor of the policy change this week.

Meanwhile, Canada celebrated its first year anniversary of the implementation of a legal marijuana market this month. Mexican lawmakers are working through legislation to legalize the plant following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed prohibition of personal possession and cultivation unconstitutional.

Beto O’Rourke Calls For Drug Decriminalization And Safe Injection Sites In New Plan