Griner gets 9 years!

Talk about sabre rattling.

How much of this sentence is an anti-West message.  And how much is legit punishment for possession of a marijuana vape cartridge.

Is there a list of how many people in Russia are serving a similar sentence?

Cannabis in Russia is illegal. Possession of up to 6 grams (or two grams of hashish) is an administrative offense, punishable by a fine or detention of 15 days. Possession of larger amounts is a criminal offense.


It’s because of NATO. 


Russia has no justice system.


drummerboy said:

Russia has no justice system.

Get ready for the reply, “Something something Assange”


Any country that gives long prison sentences for cannabis possession has no real justice system. 

This 38-Year-Old Man Will Spend Life in Prison Over 1.5 Ounces of Marijuana

https://reason.com/2021/05/13/this-38-year-old-man-will-spend-life-in-prison-over-1-5-ounces-of-marijuana/


nan said:

Any country that gives long prison sentences for cannabis possession has no real justice system. 

This 38-Year-Old Man Will Spend Life in Prison Over 1.5 Ounces of Marijuana

https://reason.com/2021/05/13/this-38-year-old-man-will-spend-life-in-prison-over-1-5-ounces-of-marijuana/

LOL for once I thought this would be a thread you wouldn't do a whatabout on!

If you're truly doing a comparison - then Griner must of also had prior convictions to get a stiff sentence - care to tell us what they were?

I guess that we can agree that marijuana convictions in US AND Russia should get overturned.

The big difference is there's a bit less tolerance for it in Russia.  The don't even have medical marijuana which is pretty cruel - another item that Russia is many, many years behind us on.


nan said:

Any country that gives long prison sentences for cannabis possession has no real justice system. 

This 38-Year-Old Man Will Spend Life in Prison Over 1.5 Ounces of Marijuana

https://reason.com/2021/05/13/this-38-year-old-man-will-spend-life-in-prison-over-1-5-ounces-of-marijuana/

While I think the sentence is nuts, the fact was that he was a habitual offender, and that's why the high sentence kicked in. It wasn't merely for the marijuana.

Also, Mississippi.

But if you think this is analogous to the Griner case, more power to you.


I think Griner was a proxy arrest for Vlad to barter and get one of buddies back


jamie said:

I think Griner was a proxy arrest for Vlad to barter and get one of buddies back

I think it's the "Merchant of Death" who Vlad wants in exchange.


nan said:

Any country that gives long prison sentences for cannabis possession has no real justice system. 

This 38-Year-Old Man Will Spend Life in Prison Over 1.5 Ounces of Marijuana

https://reason.com/2021/05/13/this-38-year-old-man-will-spend-life-in-prison-over-1-5-ounces-of-marijuana/

You seem to not understand justice systems.  If the law is clear and applied equally to all, then there is a justice system.  If the law is not applied consistently, then there is a problem.  In this case, one cannot help but wonder if race was a factor since it is mostly illegal to be Black in many jurisdictions.

Too bad we didn't elect HRC in 2016.  Democrats would not have lost the judicial branch to Christianist nationalists.


jamie said:

nan said:

Any country that gives long prison sentences for cannabis possession has no real justice system. 

This 38-Year-Old Man Will Spend Life in Prison Over 1.5 Ounces of Marijuana

https://reason.com/2021/05/13/this-38-year-old-man-will-spend-life-in-prison-over-1-5-ounces-of-marijuana/

LOL for once I thought this would be a thread you wouldn't do a whatabout on!

If you're truly doing a comparison - then Griner must of also had prior convictions to get a stiff sentence - care to tell us what they were?

I guess that we can agree that marijuana convictions in US AND Russia should get overturned.

The big difference is there's a bit less tolerance for it in Russia.  The don't even have medical marijuana which is pretty cruel - another item that Russia is many, many years behind us on.

I agree the Russia court system is not good related to marijuana.   They are a conservative country.  There was also a teacher who got 14 years for being there with medical marijuana (https://www.live5news.com/2022/07/26/us-teacher-sentenced-14-years-traveling-russia-with-cannabis/

Not sure why they are not trying to trade someone for him.   I'm surprised that Griner did not know better since she had played basketball in Russia many times.  It's not fair that they try to get her out and not the teacher. Instead they are going for the spy guy.   The teacher probably thought it was OK because he had a prescription. 

The fact that Russia is now our sworn enemy is not going to make things easier.  I was surprised that Lavrov even took the phone call.  Hopefully they work something out. 


nan said:

I agree the Russia court system is not good related to marijuana.  


It's not good related to anything.

Haven't confirmed these numbers yet yet, but I just read, from someone I trust, that:

"only 2% of criminal defendants even get trials and those who do get trials get convicted 95% of the time."


drummerboy said:

nan said:

I agree the Russia court system is not good related to marijuana.  


It's not good related to anything.

Haven't confirmed these numbers yet yet, but I just read, from someone I trust, that:

"only 2% of criminal defendants even get trials and those who do get trials get convicted 95% of the time."

We have more incarcerated people than anyone else on the globe.   We also have a very high conviction rate when the government is involved.  

I don't get a good feeling about the Russian court system at all.  But, other than having to deal with US citizens who run afoul of it, we should not be carrying on about it and  thinking we are so much better.  We supposedly pride ourselves on democracy.  The reality is that unless you have money for a good lawyer, you are going to get screwed.   And the living conditions in US prisons is inhuman. 


nan said:

...

The fact that Russia is now our sworn enemy is not going to make things easier.  I was surprised that Lavrov even took the phone call.  Hopefully they work something out. 

Yeah, as if Lavrov would ignore the chance to trade an arms dealer for a basketball player. Honorable man that he is.


And Lavrov is complaining that the swap details are being discussed publicly.  LOL

Possibly because your guy wants a murdering arms dealer and ours had a vape cartridge.  I wouldn't want this known publicly also.

I wonder if Russia has any prisoners that were seriously unfairly jailed?  If so - who?

Americans often fail to honor the agreement on doing calm, professional work,” Lavrov said.  Unlike the true, calm, professional work of a denazification operation.


nan said:

I'm surprised that Griner did not know better since she had played basketball in Russia many times.

Surprise is a reward for not knowing more. From a Times article: “She said that after recovering from a bout of Covid, she had packed hurriedly to rejoin the Russian team she plays for in the W.N.B.A. off-season, and had accidentally left the cartridges in her luggage.”


DaveSchmidt said:

nan said:

I'm surprised that Griner did not know better since she had played basketball in Russia many times.

Surprise is a reward for not knowing more. From a Times article: “She said that after recovering from a bout of Covid, she had packed hurriedly to rejoin the Russian team she plays for in the W.N.B.A. off-season, and had accidentally left the cartridges in her luggage.”

It's her own fault.

Similarly, it's Ukraine's fault that Russia invaded.

It's all the same.


drummerboy said:

nan said:

...

The fact that Russia is now our sworn enemy is not going to make things easier.  I was surprised that Lavrov even took the phone call.  Hopefully they work something out. 

Yeah, as if Lavrov would ignore the chance to trade an arms dealer for a basketball player. Honorable man that he is.

Well let's hope so.  There is no deal yet.  The US does not want to give up the arms dealer.  They are saying he's in Germany, but I'm sure they can pull strings if they want to.  Maybe it's the US that values an arms dealer more than a basketball player. 

I still don't know why they are not fighting for the teacher.  That pisses me off the most. 


nohero said:

DaveSchmidt said:

nan said:

I'm surprised that Griner did not know better since she had played basketball in Russia many times.

Surprise is a reward for not knowing more. From a Times article: “She said that after recovering from a bout of Covid, she had packed hurriedly to rejoin the Russian team she plays for in the W.N.B.A. off-season, and had accidentally left the cartridges in her luggage.”

It's her own fault.

Similarly, it's Ukraine's fault that Russia invaded.

It's all the same.

Yeah, no.  Just because she said that's how it happened is not necessarily how it happened.  But, I feel for her and I've made lots of hasty mistakes that I regret so I'm not blaming her--just said I was surprised. 

I also don't think it's Ukraine's fault that Russia invaded -- I blame the US/NATO/EU


I blame you and the rest of the reprehensible Putin apologists who have supported his violation of international law.   


You are a war criminal. 


sbenois said:

I blame you and the rest of the reprehensible Putin apologists who have supported his violation of international law.   


You are a war criminal. 

You are the war criminal for supporting the side that used Ukrainian citizens as human shields.   Amnesty International even said so.  Your WC ticket will be arriving in the mail shortly. 


nan said:

Yeah, no.  Just because she said that's how it happened is not necessarily how it happened.  But, I feel for her and I've made lots of hasty mistakes that I regret so I'm not blaming her--just said I was surprised. 

I also don't think it's Ukraine's fault that Russia invaded -- I blame the US/NATO/EU

dude, it happens. 

I had a pint bottle of olive oil in my luggage after returning from a trip to Italy. The next day I packed quickly for a subsequent trip to Pittsburgh. The TSA folks at Newark probably had a nice vinaigrette they made from my confiscated EVOO. Fortunately for me it was only olive oil and not contraband.

People forget stuff they left in the bottom of a bag. It's actually a more likely explanation than purposely trying to smuggle drugs.


ml1 said:

nan said:

Yeah, no.  Just because she said that's how it happened is not necessarily how it happened.  But, I feel for her and I've made lots of hasty mistakes that I regret so I'm not blaming her--just said I was surprised. 

I also don't think it's Ukraine's fault that Russia invaded -- I blame the US/NATO/EU

dude, it happens. 

I had a pint bottle of olive oil in my luggage after returning from a trip to Italy. The next day I packed quickly for a subsequent trip to Pittsburgh. The TSA folks at Newark probably had a nice vinaigrette they made from my confiscated EVOO. Fortunately for me it was only olive oil and not contraband.

People forget stuff they left in the bottom of a bag. It's actually a more likely explanation than purposely trying to smuggle drugs.

I'm sorry about your olive oil.  I get that it was probably a stupid mistake.  I'm going on an out-of-the-country trip soon and I always worry they will confiscate something I packed.  On my last trip I got yelled at by the TSA in Newark because of the way I positioned my laptop in the carrier going down the belt.  They made me hang out for about  20 minutes while they checked out my laptop.  They were really mad.  I was like, "sorry I did not realize," and they were just scowling and disappearing with my laptop. They did not have me turn it on so I know it was nothing I posted!  


Thank goodness she’s been released. 



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