Brittney Griner Update: WNBA Star's Lawyer Reveals New Evidence on Cannabis Use, Anti-Doping Tests in Russian Drug Trial

On Friday, Brittney Griner appeared once more in a Russian courtroom, and her lawyer provided a medical recommendation for the use of medicinal cannabis as a pain reliever.

Russian officials claim they discovered vape cartridges with hashish oil in Griner's luggage in February and has been detained in Russia since then. Although Griner pled guilty to drug charges on July 7, the trial does not conclude with the Olympic gold medalist's plea.

Brittney Griner Had a Doctor's Note For Cannabis

The Arizona Department of Health granted approval for Brittney Griner to use medical cannabis, according to the attending physician's recommendations, Attorney Maria Blagovolina revealed.

Additionally, Griner's lawyers provided proof that Griner had taken anti-doping tests, which had shown no beneficial results. With reports that Griner wrote a letter to President Joe Biden requesting his assistance in securing her release from a Russian jail and her safe return to the US, pressure has been building on the Biden administration to bring the two-time Olympic gold medalist home in recent weeks.

Griner's Russian basketball teammates spoke out on Thursday in favor of their comrade while Griner's WNBA teammates have been loud in their defense of the Phoenix Mercury star. The squad captain of Griner's Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, Yevgenia Belyakova, reportedly offered her support on Thursday, according to Griner's lawyer.

Also on Friday, Griner's trial was continued until July 26 due to the necessity for additional time for preparation. Griner, 31, has plead guilty to drug charges, which carry a maximum 10-year jail term. The defense expects that the court will view the plea agreement as a mitigating circumstance and that a less harsh sentence will be imposed. She was arrested unlawfully, according to US officials, who have stated that they are "actively engaged" in finding a solution.

Belyakova, the team captain of UMMC Ekaterinburg, the Russian basketball team that Griner played for during the WNBA off-season, and the team's director, Maksim Ryabkov, both testified in front of the court on Thursday. Per Fox News, both were used in Griner's defense as character witnesses.

Russian officials have charged Griner with smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic drug and having cannabis oil in her luggage when she was detained on February 17 at a Moscow airport. Griner was allegedly in possession of cannabis oil, which is classified as a prohibited substance in Russia, according to a prosecutor who testified during the trial. Her attorneys previously stated that she had undergone drug testing and was clean, CBS58 reported.

Brittney Griner Suggested To Swap For Viktor Bout

Her release and that of other Americans whom the US believes Russia has wrongfully arrested, such as former Marine Paul Whelan, has been a top priority for US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The intense hostility between Washington and Moscow over the latter's military intervention in Ukraine may limit Washington's influence with Moscow. According to rumors in the Russian media, Griner could be exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as "the Merchant of Death," who is currently serving a 25-year prison term in the US after being found guilty of conspiring to kill US citizens and lending support to a terrorist group.

For years, Russia has pushed for Bout's release. However, the stark disparity in the severity of their situations may make such a transaction intolerable to Washington. Others have suggested exchanging Griner for Whelan, who is now serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on an espionage conviction that the United States has called a setup.

Griner's situation is now under the control of the government's special presidential envoy for hostage matters, who is essentially the government's top hostage negotiator, after the State Department declared her to have been illegally arrested. Russia has taken issue with the classification, as per USA Today.

When asked about the idea of exchanging Griner for a Russian imprisoned in the United States, top Russian ambassador Sergei Ryabkov said that there are "no formal or procedural reasons to talk about any further measures" until her trial is over.