WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from a Russian jail in December 2022, after a trade for Russian terrorist and arms dealer Viktor Bout. Wow, did we ever get a bad deal!
Sorry folks, but trading an international war criminal and known terrorist for someone who got caught with weed in a Russian airport is a really bad idea that will almost certainly lead to more bad deals.
Let me back up for a minute. I’ve smoked weed off and on since I was a senior in high school (mostly off during the past decade or two). In that time, there have been countless high-profile busts in the news, some involving big shipments and major drug dealers, others involving entertainers and athletes caught with small amounts (John Lennon, David Bowie, Bill Murray, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, etc.). However, throughout the decades, one thing has always been fairly well-known among cannabis users: There are countries and regions that are somewhat lenient on drug offenses — at least when it comes to marijuana possession — including Canada, the United States and most of Europe, while there are others that no one with any common sense would dare get caught in with pot. In the latter category, I’d include Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and most of the Middle East. (If you haven’t seen it already, watch the movie Midnight Express for a glimpse at how they treat drug traffickers in Turkey.)
How anyone could be stupid enough to try taking cannabis into Russia is beyond me. Was Brittney Griner completely oblivious to Russia’s archaic drug laws and contentious relationship with the United States? Does she read the news? Does she care at all about her fellow teammates?
The kind of blind ignorance displayed by Griner is unforgivable. Even more unforgivable is the fact that the U.S. had to release a convicted dangerous criminal in exchange for her. Make no mistake about it, Viktor Bout is a terrible human being. His arms smuggling and promotion of wars and unrest in numerous areas of conflict around the world have undoubtedly been responsible — directly and indirectly — for thousands of deaths at the hands of bad people who have unleashed mayhem and death while using illegal weapons he supplied.
I’ve always tried to teach my kids about personal responsibility. In my early 20s, when I was in college, I got busted for growing marijuana “with intent to distribute.” A roommate and I had a garage grow with about 50 plants thriving under a dozen 1,000-watt HPS lights. Growing and dealing weed was fun while it lasted. It was also pretty lucrative. However, when the shit hit the fan and the cops were at my door, the fun ended.
I happened to be the only person home when the police arrived, and I took the rap. A judge gave me a $5,000 fine and 100 hours of community service. I also got a felony conviction. The same judge made it abundantly clear that a second offense would be jail time. I got the message. I paid my fine, did the community service and didn’t grow pot again until it was legalized in Washington about 10 years ago.
I’ve never hidden the fact from my kids and always explained that if you take risks, you have to be ready to pay the consequences. (FYI: My record was expunged and all rights were restored.)
While I feel bad that Griner got caught up in Russia’s malevolent criminal justice system, I have little sympathy for somebody who absolutely should have known better than to take the risks she did. I seriously wonder if she has any idea how lucky she is and how much damage she may have caused all citizens of the planet.
Greg James
Publisher