FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 7, 2022

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

Washington, D.C. — Toi Hutchinson, President and CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization, released the following statement regarding the arrest and detainment of WNBA Phoenix Mercury center, Brittney Griner, for alleged possession of hashish oil. 

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) stands by Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner, her family, the WNBA, and multiple organizations calling for her immediate release and safe return to the U.S. 

“We, like the entire country, are monitoring the situation in Russia regarding Brittney Griner and join many others in calling for her swift and safe return home. While we don’t have direct knowledge of this particular situation, it is not uncommon for athletes to use these oils for their physical and mental health, and they should not be penalized or stigmatized for doing so. Simple cannabis possession should never be cause for international geopolitics, as we are seeing play out in this case. After weeks of detention amid an increasingly uncertain and dangerous political environment, Brittney needs to be safely returned home as soon as humanly possible.”

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 14 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.