Brittney Griner-An American Women Basketball star

WNBA star Brittney Griner freed in U.S.-Russia prisoner swap

Brittney Griner has been sent to a Russian penal colony to serve sentence, lawyers say

(CNN) American women's basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted of deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to nine years of jail time Thursday in a case that has raised concerns she is being used as a political pawn in Russia's war against Ukraine.

The W.N.B.A. star Brittney Griner's friends and colleagues expressed support and sadness for her after a Russian court found her guilty of attempting to smuggle illegal narcotics into Russia and sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony.

Griner's appearance in the Khimki city courthouse marked her seventh hearing as Russian prosecutors accuse her of trying to smuggle less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.

Griner said Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Ural Mountains, had become her "second home." "I had no idea that the team, the cities, the fans, my teammates would make such a great impression on me over the 6 1/2 years that I spent here," she said.

Breaking: Brittney Griner was found guilty of drug possession and smuggling in a Russian court outside Moscow. Griner has been sentenced to nine years in prison. The true length of her detainment will be determined by negotiations on a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia.

Brittney Griner, the two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off-season, was arrested on drug charges in February after Customs found vape cartridges in her luggage at the airport.Is Hash Oil Legal? Manufacturing BHO is illegal under federal law and is a growing concern in states across the country. The reason for the concern is that the production process poses hazards that can result in severe burns and/or death.

Cannabidiol (CBD) shouldn't show up on a drug test. However, many CBD products contain trace amounts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana's main active ingredient. If enough THC is present, it will show up on a drug test. This means that in rare cases, using CBD might lead to a positive drug test.

Since she began her professional career in 2013, she has won two Olympic gold medals with the US women's national basketball team and a WNBA Championship. Near the onset of her professional career, Griner came out as a lesbian in 2013 and was the first openly gay athlete to sign an endoresment deal with Nike.

Brittney Griner signed a 3 year / $664,544 contract with the Phoenix Mercury, including an annual average salary of $221,515. In 2022, Griner will earn a base salary of $227,900, while carrying a cap hit of $227,900.

Brittney Griner