Brittney Griner’s lawyers tell Russian court she has a doctor’s recommendation for medicinal cannabis

Brittney Griner’s trial on cannabis possession charges continued on Friday in Russia, with the WNBA star’s attorneys telling the court she has a doctor’s recommendation to use medical marijuana. Griner was arrested at an airport near Moscow in February after customs officials reportedly found vape cartridges containing less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage as she went through security. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.

At a hearing Friday, her defense team filed evidence that could elicit court leniency, including documentation that she has a medical recommendation to use medicinal cannabis in the United States. The defense also filed evidence that Griner had recently passed an anti-doping drug screening, which found no prohibited substances in her system.

“The defense presented written evidence today, including character material, medical documents and tax returns,” Griner’s attorney Maria Blagovolina told Reuters.

“Among the medical documents is a medical certificate for the substance that Brittney Griner accidentally left among her belongings while crossing the border,” she said.

Griner’s attorneys also noted that the recommendation to use cannabis medicinally had been sanctioned by the state government in Arizona, where it is the star center for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.

“The attending physician gave Brittney recommendations for the use of medicinal cannabis,” added Blagovolina. “The approval was granted on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health.”

Griner’s plea

Griner’s trial began July 1 in a courtroom in Khimki, a Moscow suburb where the airport is located. She pleaded guilty to the charges she faces on July 7, although she told the court she had no intention of committing a crime and that she quickly packed for her trip, unaware that the E-cigarette cartridges were in their luggage. While Griner has already pleaded guilty, her trial continues while the court reviews the circumstances of the alleged crime.

In a statement after Griner filed her plea, her legal team said it was the WNBA star’s decision to plead guilty to the charges, adding that the move “is an example of being brave.”

“She has chosen to take full responsibility for her actions, knowing that she is a role model for many people,” the attorneys said. “Given the nature of their case, the insignificant amount of BG’s substance and personality, and history of positive contributions to global and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the lawsuit will be considered by the court as a mitigating circumstance and that there will be no cumulative sentence.”

On Thursday, some of Griner’s teammates on the Russian basketball team she plays for, UMMC Ekaterinburg, spoke as character witnesses in court. Team captain Evgeniya Belyakova told the court Griner is “the heart of our team,” according to a tweet from NPR Moscow correspondent Charles Maynes, and said fans in Russia “adore her.”

After the hearing, Griner’s lawyers said that UMMC Ekaterinburg Director Maxim Ryabkov “made a positive description of Brittney Griner during his speech to the court, highlighting her outstanding skills as a player and her personal contribution to strengthening the team spirit that has enabled the team to achieve the highest results in the Russian Premier League basketball and in international competitions for many years.”

Griner ‘wrongly imprisoned’

The US State Department has officially listed Griner as wrongly imprisoned, and the White House has said President Joe Biden is doing everything possible to secure her release from Russia. Media reports have speculated that the United States and Russian governments may eventually stage a prisoner swap, with American authorities perhaps releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Dealer of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence for conspiring to murder US citizens and supporting a terrorist organization.

After Friday’s hearing, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth Rood commented on the support Griner received during her trial.

“In the hearings yesterday and today, it was very clear how much respect and admiration both in the United States and here in Russia, where Miss Griner has played basketball for the past seven years, not only for her professional achievements but also for her character and integrity ‘ she said outside the courthouse.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the senior Russian diplomat, declined to comment on a possible prisoner swap, noting that until their trial is completed, “there are no formal or procedural grounds to discuss further steps.”

Ryabkov also warned that criticism from the United States, including Griner’s status as an unjustly imprisoned person and negative comments about the Russian court system, “makes it difficult to engage in a detailed discussion of a possible replacement.”

The next hearing in Griner’s trial is scheduled for July 26. Her legal team has said they expect the trial to conclude sometime in August, although her detention has been extended to December 20 by Russian authorities.