• Brittney Griner will be cross-examined as part of her drug trial in Russia.
• Her lawyers claim cannabis oil discovered in her luggage was for medicinal purposes.
• Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier this month, could face up to ten years in prison.

Brittney Griner, the WNBA star, will be cross-examined as part of her drug trial in Russia on Wednesday, according to her lawyers, who claim that cannabis oil discovered in her luggage was for medicinal purposes.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, appeared briefly in court on Tuesday at the Khimki court in the Moscow region as her defence team presented evidence.

Griner, 31, pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier this month, but the US State Department claims she is being mistreated in detention. She could face up to ten years in prison. Griner’s supporters have called for her release, citing concerns that she is being used as a political pawn in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

During Tuesday’s hearing, which lasted about an hour, a narcologist brought in by Griner’s lawyers stated that based on the WNBA player’s prescription, the cannabis oil found in her luggage was most likely used for medical purposes rather than recreational purposes.

Mikhail Tetyushkin, a narcologist, explained that “medical cannabis is a popular treatment, particularly among athletes,” in many countries outside of Russia.

Tetyushkin presented the court with information on the use of medical marijuana by athletes, claiming that the effect of relaxation and inhibition of reaction times makes cannabinoids incompatible with professional sports.

On Tuesday, he also told the court that there is no global standard for the amount of cannabinoids in medical marijuana.

Maria Blagovolina, Griner’s lawyer, told the court that an initial report from the prosecution’s expert witness was “inconsistent” and not in accordance with scientific and legal standards.

The report from the prosecution’s expert witness, according to Blagovolina, did not determine the quantitative content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the cannabis oil found in Griner’s luggage. THC is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis.

After the hearing, Blagovolina stated that Tetyushkin “explained that in various countries, particularly in the United States, medical cannabis is a popular treatment, particularly among athletes.”

“Thus, with the prescription in place, Brittney may have used it for medical but not recreational purposes,” Blagovolina added.

The fifth hearing in Griner’s criminal trial, held on Tuesday, was attended by US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Elizabeth Rood.

Griner’s lawyers have stated that the trial will conclude early next month.

In February, the Phoenix Mercury basketball player was arrested at a Moscow airport with less than a gramme of cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner, who plays in Russia during the WNBA’s offseason, has been held on drug smuggling charges since then. Her trial started in early July.

At the start of her trial in Moscow, a prosecutor accused Griner of knowingly smuggling drugs into the country.
Griner told a court that she did not intend to commit a crime and that it was the result of her hasty packing, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Her defence team told Russian judges that she had been prescribed medical marijuana for “severe chronic pain.”

The defence hopes that the plea will be considered a mitigating factor by the court and that the sentence will be light.

Griner made the decision to plead guilty on her own, according to a source close to her. However, Griner, her family, lawyers, and experts had extensively discussed this decision in recent weeks. Given the reported 99 percent conviction rate in Russian criminal cases, Griner was urged to consider all options, including a plea that could result in a shorter sentence.

Some have speculated that Griner, like Trevor Reed, an American veteran detained in Russia for three years before his release in April, could be released and returned to the US in a prisoner swap.

Still, a senior US official told Media that Griner would have to be convicted and admit fault before any potential prisoner swap. Reed was forced to sign a document admitting guilt, something he had resisted for almost the entire duration of his detention, the official said.

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