Overview:
The White House has gone to great lengths to help Brittney Griner return home from Russia. However, many Americans remain imprisoned for cannibals offenses.
On August 4, President Biden called the nine-year sentence handed down by a Russian court to WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner “unacceptable.” Griner was convicted for possession of less than an ounce of cannabis oil. Biden added that his administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring her home safely as soon as possible.
The Biden Administration has gone to great lengths to help Griner return home. US negotiators proposed a 2-for-1 prisoner swap, where the US would receive Griner and American Paul Whelan, while the Russians would receive convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Meanwhile, Biden has yet to address the estimated 40,000 Americans jailed in the United States for cannabis-related crimes. The majority of those imprisoned are people of color, even though the overwhelming majority of those capitalizing on the legal cannabis industry are white males.
Among the measures in The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) introduced in the Senate to federally legalize cannabis is a measure to prioritize restorative and economic justice. Another proposed Senate Bill, The Right to Try Clarification Act would allow terminally ill patients to access cannabis and psychedelics in accordance with the Federal Right to Try Law.
To date, the Biden Administration has not issued a formal comment on this proposed legislation.