Julius Washington Reports

By Julius Washington and Branson Brooks

Seven-time WNBA all-star Britney Griner’s nine-year prison sentence was upheld by a Russian court Tuesday, following an unsuccessful appeal attempt.

The decision was handed down following a months-long legal battle stemming from her possession of less than a gram of hashish oil, contained in two vape cartridges. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the decision “another failure of injustice” and reiterated that “securing her release is our priority.” The Biden administration maintains that Ms. Griner is “wrongfully detained” by the Russian government.

Branson Brooks: In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden said about Putin, “Look, I have no intention of meeting with him. But, for example, if he came to me at the G20 and said, ‘I want to talk about the release of Griner,’ I’d meet with him.”

Branson Brooks: A potential prisoner swap has been discussed with Russian officials, believed to hinge on the release of arms dealer Viktor Bout, in exchange for Ms. Griner and Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who has been detained in Russia since 2018, but no concrete progress has been made on a deal.

Branson Brooks: To see this big of a sentence tossed down for a one-gram vape cartridge is heartbreaking. Although laws are laws, how can we justify sentencing someone to 9 years in prison for something literally so small?

Outrage amongst Americans to the charges faced by Ms. Griner was widespread, partially owing to the rapid acceptance of marijuana in recent years.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, “Thirty-one states and Washington, D.C. have enacted laws to stop jailing their residents for possession of small amounts of cannabis. In 19 of those states, cannabis is legal for adults 21 and older…”

Federal policy is also beginning to change on the issue as well. President Biden recently released an executive order officially pardoning every federal conviction of simple possession of marijuana and directed Health and Human Services Director Xavier Beccera to examine removing it from the highest schedule of illegal drugs.

Branson Brooks: The basketball community and the American sports world has been particularly supportive of Ms. Griner. During the 2022 WNBA season, Griner’s initials and jersey number were painted on every court in the league and the player’s union has rallied behind her cause.

Branson Brooks: Breanna Stewart, the runner-up for WNBA MVP this past season, has been a vocal champion of Ms. Griner’s cause, appealing to the Biden administration in numerous public statements and making daily pleas for her release on Twitter.

In pregame speeches on opening night before their respective home crowds, guards Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry called on policymakers to exhaust their abilities in bringing Ms. Griner home. 

“It’s been 243 days since she’s been wrongfully incarcerated in Russia and we hope that she comes home soon and everyone is doing their part to get her home,” Curry said.

As the culture around marijuana within the United States has evolved, sports leagues have been quick to adapt to the public shift about marijuana.

In an interview with comedian David Letterman for his Netflix series “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” NBA superstar Kevin Durant made it clear he had no qualms about athletes using marijuana.

“It’s like having a glass of wine.” Durant said. “I’m actually high right now.” “And it’s even crazier that you got people in jail for 20 years for maybe selling a pound,” he continued.

Branson Brooks: Across the four major American sports leagues, marijuana testing is either non-punitive or nonexistent whatsoever. 

Branson Brooks: During the 2020 NBA bubble in Disney World, the NBA announced that they would suspend their drug testing program and subsequent seasons have seen the continuation of the policy.

In the NFL, which has the strictest marijuana policy among the four, players are free to utilize the drug without penalty during the offseason, and in-season test violations don’t trigger suspensions, only a fine.

Griner’s release remains uncertain, but as the basketball community, and individuals in general witness her wrongful incarceration, all we can do is hope for her mental and physical well-being and that changes in drug policy spread to the rest of the world.

This podcast was recorded by Branson Brooks and Julius Washington to fulfill a requirement for Multimedia Storytelling.