In this undated photo (click here) published on Sept. 7, 2013, on the homepage of North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, talks with former NBA player Dennis Rodman during a dinner in North Korea. North Korea is expecting another visit by former NBA bad boy Rodman on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in what would be his first to the country since President Donald Trump took office. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this photo. (Rodong Sinmun/Korea News Service via AP)
Most of the marijuana for sale in the USA is medicinal.
June 27, 2022
By Bill Chappell and Charles Maynes
By Bill Chappell and Charles Maynes
Basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives Monday at a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a WNBA champion, was detained in February on charges of carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.
Moscow - Brittney Griner (click here) briefly appeared in public Monday, and moved one step closer to facing trial on drug charges in Russia. In a short court proceeding, a judge ordered Griner to be detained for the length of her trial, Griner's legal team told NPR.
The next hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 1, Griner's lawyer, Alexander Boikov, said. The trial will officially start that day, but it will begin with technical matters such as reading the indictment and reviewing case files, he added.
The news emerged from a preliminary court session that was closed to the public — but journalists did get a rare glimpse of Griner as the WNBA center walked through a hallway in the courthouse....
Moscow - Brittney Griner (click here) briefly appeared in public Monday, and moved one step closer to facing trial on drug charges in Russia. In a short court proceeding, a judge ordered Griner to be detained for the length of her trial, Griner's legal team told NPR.
The next hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 1, Griner's lawyer, Alexander Boikov, said. The trial will officially start that day, but it will begin with technical matters such as reading the indictment and reviewing case files, he added.
The news emerged from a preliminary court session that was closed to the public — but journalists did get a rare glimpse of Griner as the WNBA center walked through a hallway in the courthouse....
Putin is most probably using this very tall professional basketball player for propaganda campaigns. Russia is always being found out when they use performance enhancing drugs. Mr. Griner has been taken because she is female and tall. The fact she is a female professional basketball player lines up in a contorted way with Putin's rantings about trans-women in female sports. He has made speeches about how trans-women are going to take over women's olympic sports.
Ms. Griner was most likely targeted for search in hopes she was carrying performance enhancing drugs. Has a blood test been used in the prosecution of a very minor infraction in the law. The blood test could be contaminated by Russian trainers so Putin could make his case to Russia and the Olympics.
Ms. Griner is a political prisoner and nothing short of it. The NBA is silent and I have no idea why. A very important professional player was arrested. We do not know if she was set up. But, if she wasn't, her use of the oil was legal in the USA. She wasn't selling anything, she brought her personal equipment with her for personal use. If Russia is accepting visitors and/or tourists, they have to make concessions for such minor issues that are completely legal in the USA. Tourists and/or visitors should be informed when they enter the Russia and showing their passport that their personal belongings will be searched. If Russia finds contraband the person may not know it is contraband. The article(s) should be put in a locker and then made available back to the owner when they exit the country. Allowing these problems in Russia only sets up foreigners to be arrested and used for Putin's politics.
If there is a chance Dennis Rodman could be helpful and perhaps have a high profile visit with Ms. Griner that his friend in North Korea can arrange, then it should be done. It is wrong for the NBA to remain quiet.
The Russian teams should be suspended from competition. Their country is unpredictable and who knows what kind of espionage Putin will pull to cause problems for his political propaganda at home. The Russian athletes should stay in Russia. They are a political football. What if they decide to defect? No one needs it.
By Andy Hall
Russian teams (click here) have been suspended from playing in next season’s EuroLeague basketball competitions, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, organisers said on Thursday. The invasion, which Moscow insists is a “special military operation”, has led to logistical problems, Euroleague said.
“The decision is taken due to the increasing difficulties for teams to play games against teams from that country, which include air travel restrictions and prohibitions or other limitations to issuing visas to Russian residents,” the Euroleague board said in a statement....
