Actor John Larroquette admitted that he once took a role in a horror movie in exchange for &#8220;a matchbox&#8221; of marijuana.
According to a recent <a href="https://parade.com/tv/john-larroquette-got-paid-in-marijuana-for-texas-chainsaw-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> for Parade Magazine, the &#8220;Night Court&#8221; actor explained that he had taken on the role — narrating the opening sequence of 1974&#8217;s &#8220;The Texas Chainsaw Massacre&#8221; — as a favor to his friend, director Tobe Hooper, and that he hadn&#8217;t expected to be paid for the work.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
John Larroquette confirmed the rumor that Tobe Hooper paid him in weed to narrate his 1974 film &#39;The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/mFTeL8as7q">https://t.co/mFTeL8as7q</a>
&mdash; Entertainment Weekly (@EW) <a href="https://twitter.com/EW/status/1614005627524730893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Larroquette told Parade that he had actually met Hooper several years earlier when he was working as a bartender in Colorado — and when he later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, Hooper called him and asked if he could spare an hour to narrate the beginning of his latest project.
&#8220;Tobe heard I was in town and asked for an hour of my time to narrate something for this movie he just did. I said ‘Fine!’ It was a favor,&#8221; Larroquette said — but he admitted that, on his way out the door, Hooper had slipped him a little something for his trouble.
&#8220;Totally true. He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days. I walked out of the [recording] studio and patted him on the back side and said, &#8216;Good luck to you!'&#8221; the actor added.
According to <a href="https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hemp22b.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Botanical.com</a> — which has published a lengthy list of street-terms for marijuana and other related paraphernalia — a &#8220;matchbox&#8221; refers to approximately &#8220;1/4 ounce of marijuana or 6 marijuana cigarettes,&#8221; or the amount of marijuana that might fit in a matchbox.
The Louisiana native said that he has never even seen &#8220;The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,&#8221; explaining that horror movies are not really his thing — but he did appreciate the fact that the movie did well and netted him roles narrating sequences in the sequels as well.
&#8220;You do something for free in the 1970s and get a little money in the ‘90s,&#8221; he said.
Larroquette, who is part of the NBC &#8220;Night Court&#8221; reboot, famously withdrew himself from contention after four consecutive <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488662/awards/?ref_=nm_awd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmy wins</a> for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — from 1985-1988, during the show&#8217;s original run.
He was <a href="https://screenrant.com/night-court-john-larroquette-emmys-wins-consideration-end/#john-larroquette-wasn-t-the-only-star-who-withdrew-from-emmy-nominations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not the only star</a> to take that step either — Candice Bergen bowed out after winning five times between 1989-1995 for her role in &#8220;Murphy Brown,&#8221; and Oprah Winfrey withdrew her name after winning seven times in 12 years.

2023 TCA Winter Press Tour – NBCUniversal

John Larroquette Admits He Got Paid A Box Of Marijuana For Role In 70s Slasher Flick

John Larroquette Admits He Got Paid A Box Of Marijuana For Role In 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

Celebrities

Hollywood

Horror Movies

Marijuana

U.S.

The number of children who have accidentally eaten cannabis-infused edibles has spiked over the past five years as marijuana became legal in more states, according to a new report.
The significant increase was based on more than 7,000 pediatric cases filed with the <a href="https://www.aapcc.org/national-poison-data-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Poison Data System,</a> which tracks reports of poisonings across the nation.
“When it’s in a candy form or cookies, people don’t think of it in the same way as household chemicals or other things a child could get into,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-children-marijuana-district-of-columbia-bf55c85be2c2720a4988e6ecedafdb95?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_07" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, who led the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2022-057761/190427/Pediatric-Edible-Cannabis-Exposures-and-Acute?searchresult=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> published this week in Pediatrics. “But people should really be thinking of it as a medication.”
The numbers revealed a change from about 200 cases per year in 2017 to more than 3,000 in 2021. About 8% of the cases resulted in children being admitted to critical care units typically due to problems with breathing or coma, with more than a third of the children visiting emergency rooms.
The Pediatrics-published research noted that more than 97% of the exposures occurred in a home setting. The researchers concluded, &#8220;It is important for providers to be aware of this in their practice and it presents an important opportunity for education and prevention.&#8221;
The study recommended multiple ways to reduce future poisonings. The suggestions included changing product packaging and labeling, reducing the maximum allowable dose in a package, and increasing public education on household risks involved, especially for young children.
The push for new packaging is a significant consideration, as cannabis-infused edibles are often made to look like candy or cookies, which can lead children to consume the product accidentally.
The concern especially relates to toddlers who are unable to read the packaging. More than half of the reports involved 2 and 3-year-old children.
Common symptoms in children included confusion, hallucinations, rapid heart rate, and vomiting, according to the research. The most severe cases had depressed breathing or coma, though no children in the study died. The symptoms tend to vary based on a child&#8217;s size and age, as well as how much cannabis has been consumed.
Dr. Kevin Osterhoudt, the medical director of the poison control center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/reports-young-children-accidentally-eating-marijuana-edibles-soar-rcna63501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News that the situation is increasing nationwide.
&#8220;I think the pattern that we’re seeing is well-represented by this study,&#8221; Osterhoudt said. &#8220;Emergency physicians all across the country have been recognizing what they believe to be a sharp increase in both young children and teenagers showing up to emergency departments for THC intoxication.”
The increased reports come as 37 states allow some form of medicinal marijuana, while 21 states permit various levels of recreational usage, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-children-marijuana-district-of-columbia-bf55c85be2c2720a4988e6ecedafdb95?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_07" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The problems with cannabis-infused edibles are not limited to children. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bus-driver-charged-after-blacking-out-behind-wheel-says-he-didnt-know-he-was-eating-marijuana-infused-gummies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in June that a man who blacked out driving a 38-passenger bus from a Connecticut casino in March was charged with 38 counts of reckless endangerment.
The driver, Jinhuan Chen, claimed he didn’t know he was eating cannabis-infused gummies before passing out.
Chen, who spoke through a Chinese interpreter, told Superior Court Judge Ndidi Moses, “I didn’t know it was marijuana. I didn’t know.”

Stack of edible cannabis gummies in rainbow light – stock photo

Kids Sickened By Cannabis-Infused Edibles Soars As Pot Becomes Legal In More States

Children

Health

Medical Research

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food and Drug Administration</a> is beginning to examine whether cannabidiol, the cannabis extract also known as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBD</a>, is safe in food and supplements, according to a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-concerned-about-safety-explores-regulating-cbd-in-foods-supplements-11672146030?mod=hp_lead_pos6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Wall Street Journal.
“Given what we know about the safety of CBD so far, it raises concerns for FDA about whether these existing regulatory pathways for food and dietary supplements are appropriate for this substance,” FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock told the outlet. Patrick Cournoyer, who leads the agency’s Cannabis Product Committee, told the Wall Street Journal that officials want to determine whether CBD can be ingested during pregnancy, referencing concerns about future fertility among users.
CBD is created in a laboratory or derived from hemp, a plant related to marijuana, according to a <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Harvard Medical School. The FDA nixed regulations on CBD with respect to research trials in 2015 before hemp was legalized in the United States three years later.
The compound is presently utilized to decrease the severity of anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain, according to Harvard Medical School. Side effects, however, may include nausea, fatigue, and irritability, as well as blood thinning. The FDA does not currently regulate CBD due to its classification as a dietary supplement rather than a medication.
The worldwide market for legal cannabis is expected to grow from more than $33 billion to $57 billion within the next four years, according to a <a href="https://bdsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BDSA-Updated-Global-Cannabis-Market-Forecasts-Sept-2022-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projection</a> from cannabis market researcher BDSA. The company forecasts that cannabis products intended for medical use will become available in Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina next year.
President Joe Biden recently signed the Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act, which is intended to “encourage valid scientific and clinical research on marihuana and its compounds, expand sources of research-grade marihuana, and promote the commercial production of FDA-approved drugs derived from CBD or other marihuana compounds,” according to a <a href="https://www.drugcaucus.senate.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> from the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Among other provisions, the law will permit accredited medical schools and research institutions to manufacture cannabis.
The increased acceptance of medical marijuana products occurs as proponents of criminal justice reform encourage decreased sanctions for offenses related to the substance. Biden recently issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass pardon</a> of individuals convicted of simple possession.
The specter of regulation on CBD products also comes after the FDA placed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-data-is-right-there-juul-says-the-fda-overlooked-key-information-before-banning-the-product" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marketing denial order</a> earlier this year on e-cigarette products manufactured by Juul Labs, claiming that the vapes create exposure to toxic chemicals. The company, which submitted more than 110 studies in an application with the agency, said in filings that its e-cigarettes contained at least 82% fewer harmful substances than IQOS, a tobacco device sold by Philip Morris International.
“We see clear signs that youth use of electronic cigarettes has reached an epidemic proportion, and we must adjust certain aspects of our comprehensive strategy to stem this clear and present danger,” former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in 2018. “While we remain committed to advancing policies that promote the potential of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers move away from combustible cigarettes, that work can’t come at the expense of kids. We cannot allow a whole new generation to become addicted to nicotine.”

CBD oil seen at the Asian Hemp Expo at Queen Sirikit

FDA Could Regulate CBD Amid Evidence Of Worrying Health Risks: Report

FDA Could Regulate CBD Amid Evidence Of Worrying Health Risks

Drugs

Medical

A new study <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3771613-simultaneous-alcohol-cannabis-use-increased-as-states-legalized-marijuana-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> the potential connection between the combined use of alcohol and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> and the laws concerning recreational marijuana use across the United States.
The study, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-022-07948-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in the Journal of Internal Medicine late last month, showed that the combined use of alcohol and cannabis went up from 2008 to 2019 in people ages 21-50 years old. It dropped, however, among people ages 12 to 20 years old. It also didn’t increase for people 51 years of age and up.
“Our findings are concerning considering that simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use is associated with more negative consequences (e.g., risk behaviors [driving under the influence], heavy patterns of substance use, increased risk for alcohol use disorders) to the individual and society,” Priscilla Goncalves, PhD, and first author of the study, said.
“Until this study, little had been known about the [recreational cannabis laws] and simultaneous use in adults in the U.S., where adult cannabis use and alcohol use are increasing in a changing cannabis policy environment,” Goncalves noted.
The findings come via information from the 2008 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included 817,359 people. The information also included where the participants were living in 2019 to see the state’s law about recreational cannabis use.
When looking at the time period before the recreational cannabis law and afterward, a press <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/974054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> about the study noted that there were minor but important upticks in people who were at least 21 years old.
The study’s objective was to look at the tendencies of the simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol and explore the connections between recreational cannabis laws, which it noted as “(i.e., presence of active legal dispensaries or legal home cultivation)” and the simultaneous use of both substances in the country.
Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, a senior author on the study, pointed out the potential reason for the discovery, stating, “The greater availability and opportunity to access cannabis through legal supply chains available for adults ages 21 and over such as dispensaries, present in most RCL states, may explain why we observed increases in simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use in those aged 21–50 but not 12–20 years after RCLs in this sample.”
“These findings build upon prior research showing that states allowing dispensaries had a greater likelihood of alcohol-related outcomes in adults aged 21+,” Martins said. “Our work confirms these findings and extends them by reporting rising simultaneous use after RCL with cannabis supply implementation using a nationally representative sample across age groups over a long period (2008–2019).”
Goncalves noted that their “study contributes to the understanding of age group changes in simultaneous cannabis/ alcohol use after the legalization of adult cannabis use in the U.S. beyond medical laws.”
“Therefore, there may be a need to develop strategies to reduce harms related to simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use in adults aged 21-50,” she added.
Another <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2798860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from last month showed that the use of alcohol has gone up as states have legalized recreational marijuana use, as The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3742213-as-states-legalized-marijuana-alcohol-use-increased-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
As of November, there are 21 <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/where-is-marijuana-legal-a-guide-to-marijuana-legalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> that have <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/marijuana-laws-by-state-is-weed-legal-where-you-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalized</a> the recreational use of marijuana, as well as Washington, D.C. The medical <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use</a> of Marijuana is more common, as it is legal in Washington, D.C., and 38 states. There has also been an <a href="https://ncpolicywatch.com/2022/04/21/federal-attempts-to-legalize-marijuana-flail-even-as-public-support-grows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effort</a> to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021 studies <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2021/06/using-alcohol-marijuana-together-exacerbates-negative-consequences-young-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> that college students who used marijuana and alcohol simultaneously had more adverse impacts than people who used them at different times.

Photo taken in Miami, United States

Simultaneous Use Of Cannabis And Alcohol Went Up In People Ages 21-50 As States Legalized Recreational Marijuana, Study Finds

Simultaneous Use Of Cannabis And Alcohol Went Up In People 21-50 Years Old As States Legalized Marijuana, Journal Of Internal Medicine Study Finds

Alcohol

Come next year, Minnesota may be the next state to legalize <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a>.
Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) flipped the state Senate on Tuesday, securing a trifecta for the first time in nearly a decade: both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz reportedly <a href="https://www.clubhouse.com/room/M8n53n6A?t=631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> former Governor Jesse Ventura in a phone call that marijuana legalization would be one of the first bills passed through this trifecta.
“The sticking point for cannabis in Minnesota were the Republicans and the house they controlled,” stated Ventura. “Well, they’ve lost it now, and the governor reassured me that one of the first items that will be passed — Minnesota, get ready — cannabis is going to have its prohibition lifted.”
Ventura added that Walz also invited him to the bill’s signing. The former governor has reportedly attempted to legalize marijuana for 20 years.
Based on Walz’s remarks this year, the governor may also have an eye on expunging marijuana convictions in the state. Walz’s vision preceded President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass pardon</a> of those convicted of simple marijuana possession last month.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s time to legalize adult-use cannabis and expunge cannabis convictions in Minnesota.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1516926643864055809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Legalization of the drug advances as more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joint-session-questioning-the-senates-debate-on-the-decriminalization-of-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> arise among legislators and medical professionals on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/going-green-the-physical-mental-and-emotional-problems-associated-with-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection</a> between marijuana usage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-marijuana-use-play-a-role-in-mass-shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental illness</a>.
Just last weekend, pop star icon Aaron Carter was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-police-found-in-the-room-with-aaron-carter-when-he-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> dead in his bathtub. Carter stated three days prior that he’d been “California sober” for five years — abstaining from all drugs except cannabis and prescribed pharmaceuticals like Xanax. Carter had a lengthy history of addiction and mental illness.
Walz’s initiative wouldn’t be transitioning Minnesota from total prohibition to full legalization of the drug. He directed state agencies to form policies that could be implemented upon legalization.
According to the state’s legislative reference library, the legislature <a href="https://www.lrl.mn.gov/guides/guides?issue=cannabis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalized</a> medical marijuana in 2014, but consumption could only take place through pills, oils, or vapor initially. Then last year, the state relaxed this law to allow the smoking of dried marijuana leaves and consumption of “edibles” (gummies and chews). The latter went into effect in August.
The state <a href="https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/patients/conditions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">qualifies</a> 17 conditions for medical marijuana usage: Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autism spectrum disorder (must meet DSM-5), cancer, chronic motor or vocal tic disorder, chronic pain, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease), intractable pain, obstructive sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), seizures (e.g., epilepsy), severe and persistent muscle spasms (e.g., multiple sclerosis, or MS), sickle cell disease, terminal illness with a life expectancy of under one year, and Tourette Syndrome.
Those with cancer or a terminal illness must have one or more of the following symptoms: severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting.
The legislature also implemented a law earlier this year allowing individuals over 21 to purchase products containing five or less milligrams of the psychoactive drug THC derived from hemp. Marijuana and hemp are the same species — the primary difference <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana%23hemp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exists</a> in their THC content. Hemp has 0.3 percent or less THC, while marijuana has over 0.3 percent, therefore resulting in the drug’s typical high.
November 6 marked the tenth anniversary of Colorado and Washington becoming the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Since then, Washington, D.C., Guam, and 19 states have followed suit: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

Minnesota Governor Promises Marijuana Legalization Will Be One Of First Bills Passed Under Newly-Flipped Legislature

2022 Midterms

Minnesota

Politics

Social Issues

Five <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> cities may join the growing list of those adopting workarounds to the Lone Star State’s ban on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a>. It’s the latest development in a growing trend to decriminalize the drug.
Voters in Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos are all deciding on November ballot propositions to legalize marijuana. Austin, the state’s capital, already approved a measure in May decriminalizing marijuana by prohibiting citations or arrests for misdemeanor possession, as well as banning no-knock warrants.
The propositions considered by the five cities <a href="https://norml.org/news/2022/08/11/texas-voters-in-five-cities-to-decide-on-marijuana-depenalization-initiatives/">bear</a> the same language, and similar titles: “[Insert City Here] Freedom Act of 2022.” That’s because the propositions were the coordinated effort of an Austin-based progressive nonprofit, Ground Game Texas. In addition to legalizing marijuana, Ground Game Texas advocates for a $15 minimum wage and expansion of Medicaid. Ground Game Texas was also behind Austin’s marijuana decriminalization and no-knock ban, called the “Austin Freedom Act of 2021.”
Under the cookie cutter proposition language, each city would prohibit citations and arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, unless those citations or arrests for possession involved the investigation of a felony-level narcotics case or violent felony. Police may also not use the smell of marijuana as probable cause for a search or seizure, and they may not use city funds or personnel to conduct THC concentration testing.
On the map, these five cities form a southwest trail starting in Denton and ending in San Marcos. If all five cities decriminalize marijuana, they will join the cities of Cedar Park, Dallas, El Paso, and the counties of Bexar, Harris, Hays, Nueces, Travis, and Williamson, which allow for citations instead of arrests for misdemeanor possession.
In addition to coordinating marijuana decriminalization efforts, Ground Game Texas is advocating for a “<a href="https://www.groundgametexas.org/en/campaigns/sanantonio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Antonio Justice Charter</a>” to not only decriminalize marijuana, but abortion. The charter would also implement a slew of California-esque progressive policies, such as hiring a social justice director with authorities similar to a mayor, ban no-knock warrants and police chokeholds, and citation-only punishments for class C misdemeanors, drug possession, theft of property or service less than $750, driving with an invalid license, contraband possession while imprisoned, graffiti with damages less than $2,500, and criminal mischief with damages under $750. They need 20,000 verified signatures by January to make the May municipal ballot.
Ground Game Texas is also advocating for a $15 minimum wage for the city of Edinburg, as well as a climate change and climate justice policy for the city of El Paso.
The mass marijuana decriminalization efforts are coming to a head as more studies are now being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joint-session-questioning-the-senates-debate-on-the-decriminalization-of-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/going-green-the-physical-mental-and-emotional-problems-associated-with-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential connection</a> between marijuana usage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-marijuana-use-play-a-role-in-mass-shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental illness</a>.
Some of Texas’ Republican state leaders support this decriminalization push. In January, Governor Greg Abbott signaled a softened stance on marijuana decriminalization, according to remarks <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/11/austin-decriminalize-marijuana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documented</a> by the Texas Tribune during a campaign stop.
“One thing that I believe in, and I believe the state legislature believes in, and that is prison and jail is a place for dangerous criminals who may harm others,” said Abbott. “Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with.”
In a July editorial, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller <a href="https://www.texasagriculture.gov/News-Events/News-Events-Details/Article/7380/EDITORIAL-STANDING-UP-FOR-COMPASSIONATE-USE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that marijuana was medically beneficial, and that bans on the drug were racist, classist, authoritarian, and anti-American.
“In a free society, government should only make something illegal for a powerful reason or set of facts,” wrote Miller. “As I look back, I believe that cannabis prohibition came from a place of fear, not from medical science or the analysis of social harm. Sadly, the roots of this came from a history of racism, classism, and a large central government with an authoritarian desire to control others. It is as anti-American in its origins as could be imaginable.”
Abbott and Miller are just several of many Republicans walking away from party disapproval of marijuana and joining a decriminalization push that resonates deeply throughout the Democratic Party all the way to the White House. Democrats at the forefront of voter minds ahead of the November election like Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Senate candidate John Fetterman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-for-decriminalizing-across-the-board-john-fetterman-has-repeatedly-nodded-to-woke-drug-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support</a> decriminalization of marijuana, but view that issue as the tip of the iceberg. Fetterman has consistently advocated for decriminalizing hard drugs as well.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-pardons-thousands-with-federal-convictions-for-drug-crimes-orders-states-to-do-the-same" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a mass pardon of those convicted of simple marijuana possession. As The Heritage Foundation and other experts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a>, a vast majority of those criminal convictions were the result of plea deals. Meaning, those benefiting from Biden’s pardon likely committed more heinous crimes than marijuana possession. Paul Larkin, Heritage Foundation senior legal research fellow, told The Daily Wire that these plea deals occur nearly all of the time.
“95% of the time, federal prosecutors engage in plea bargaining,” stated Larkin. “Is it possible or likely people are going to benefit from this who don’t deserve it because they actually were accused of a more serious crime? Damn right there is.”

Five Texas Cities May Decriminalize Marijuana In Workaround To State Ban

Texas

Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> companies are facing a lawsuit over low-potency <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> products.
The suit was filed against DreamFields Brands, Inc. and Med for America, Inc. The companies are accused of inaccurately telling consumers that some cannabis products contained higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which creates the feeling of being high for people who use the substance. 
&#8220;Consumers are willing to pay more for cannabis products with higher THC content, and expect to pay less for cannabis products with lower THC content,&#8221; Christin Cho of Dovel and Luner, the law firm behind the lawsuit, <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/lawsuit-filed-against-california-weed-companies-not-getting-consumers-high-enough" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, per Fox Business. &#8220;The complaint alleges that by labeling its products with inflated THC numbers, defendants are overcharging consumers.&#8221;
Jasper Centeno and Blake Wilson are the plaintiffs who <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/26/business/california-marijuana-lawsuit-thc-trnd/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought</a> the case and alleged that they purchased “Jeeter” marijuana joints which were advertised as containing high levels of THC. The suit claims that the inaccurate labels have broken several California laws about false advertising. 
“Because cannabis consumers generally prefer and are willing to pay more for high-THC cannabis products, declaring that their products have a very high THC content allows Defendants to charge premium rates for their cannabis products,” the lawsuit <a href="https://www.dovel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jeeter-complaint-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a>.
The plaintiffs may have a case, depending on the level of cannabis. According to the <a href="https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/DCC-Cannabis-Regulations-as-of-6.6.2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California Department of Cannabis Control</a>, “any one cannabinoid, Total THC, and/or Total CBD claimed to be present on a label shall not be considered inaccurate if the difference in percentage on the certificate of analysis is plus or minus 10.0%.”
Jeeter’s labeling reportedly says that its pre-rolled items have around 35% average THC and can have up to 46% in some items. The lawsuit reportedly points to an independent lab examination that found one of the products only had 23% to 27%, while it claimed to have 46% THC.
The companies are “systematically overstating the THC content to deceive consumers into thinking that the effects of their prerolls are more potent than they truly are. This is false and misleading. And, it violates DCC regulations, and California law,” the lawsuit stated. 
Cannabis is a multi-billion dollar industry in California. Last year, the state had the most marijuana sales in the country, coming in at $5.7 billion, the Annual Marijuana Business Factbook reportedly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cannabis-marijuana-dreamfields-jeeter-lawsuit-california-thc-high/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
According to the <a href="https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Factsheet_Marijuana_Use_Among_CA_Adults-ADA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California Department of Public Health</a>, in 2018 17.7% of adults in California said they had used marijuana in the previous thirty days. In the United States, 10.5% of adults reportedly use the substance. 
The plaintiffs seek an undisclosed amount in damages and want a jury to be involved.

F5E0A013-C54D-4040-B4BD-997E8ACFC1E9_1_201_a

California Marijuana Companies Sued Over Alleged False THC Labeling

California Marijuana Companies DreamField Brands and Med For America Sued Over Alleged False THC Labeling 

Business

California

Courts

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> is set to legalize <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cannabis</a> for recreational use, making it one of the only European Union nations to do so, while 19 states in the U.S. have taken similar action.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/26/germany-to-legalize-cannabis-use-for-recreational-purposes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-legalize-cannabis-use-recreational-purposes-2022-10-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">document</a> regarding plans for a measure on the subject. The legislation would create regulations for the controlled disbursement and consumption of cannabis for adults to use in a recreational manner. It would also be legal to get and hold onto up to 20 to 30 grams of recreational cannabis for personal use.
The country’s Federal Cabinet <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/germanys-government-approves-marijuana-legalization-plan-but-reform-depends-on-european-union-sign-off/#:~:text=Germany's%20Federal%20Cabinet%20has%20officially,the%20country%20to%20move%20ahead.">reportedly</a> approved the plan, but now must be delivered to the European Commission and then legislators, so it isn&#8217;t a finished product yet.
Germany took steps to make this change in the past. The latest move comes after the coalition government secured a deal last year to put forward a measure to allow certain stores to carry cannabis. It’s not known how long it will take for the proposal to go into effect.
The only other European Union country that has legalized cannabis is Malta, making the United States an outlier on the practice when compared to Europe.
In the United States, Guam, Washington, D.C., as well as nineteen states, have <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/where-is-marijuana-legal-a-guide-to-marijuana-legalization">legalized</a> recreational use of marijuana. Colorado was the first state to take such action when Coloradans voted on a ballot measure to make its recreational use and the act of selling the substance legal in 2012.
President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2022-10-06/biden-pardons-thousands-for-simple-marijuana-possession-offenses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> further steps this month to pardon people who have been convicted of simple marijuana possession on a federal level. The move applied to around 6,500 people and was considered by some as an attempt to appease and draw support from the president’s leftist Democratic supporters. A senior White House official, however, told the press that no Americans are in jail for simple marijuana possession.
Multiple European nations have legalized marijuana use for restricted medicinal use. Germany also took this step, and has allowed such utilization since 2017.
Every EU Member State considers possessing marijuana for personal use as a violation, according to the <a href="https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/cannabis-policy/html_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction</a>. However, more than one-third of the states don’t permit imprisonment as a punishment for minor violations.
Last year, Malta <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59660856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> it legal for people to grow and use cannabis for personal purposes. Adults are permitted to have up to seven grams of marijuana on them and cultivate up to four of the plants in their houses. However, public smoking of marijuana or smoking the substance in the presence of children is not allowed.
The country’s Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech was originally in favor of the legislation, but then cautioned it would &#8220;only lead to the strengthening of the illegal market, with organised crime taking advantage.”

&lt;&gt; on August 13, 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

Germany Issues Plans To Become Second EU Country To Legalize Recreational Marijuana Use

Germany Issues Plans To Legalize Recreational Marijuana Use

Europe

European Union

Germany

Critics ripped into Vice President <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> over the weekend as video circulated of her claiming that no one should go to jail simply for smoking marijuana.
Harris&#8217; remarks came on the heels of President Joe Biden&#8217;s Thursday <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-pardons-thousands-with-federal-convictions-for-drug-crimes-orders-states-to-do-the-same/">pronouncement</a> declaring mass pardons for thousands who have past federal convictions on drug charges — and flew in the face of her record as a prosecutor in California.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
VP HARRIS: &quot;Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/yHDGeUyQ9e">pic.twitter.com/yHDGeUyQ9e</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1579206614103785472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;And speaking of the system of justice,&#8221; Harris began. &#8220;We are also changing — y&#8217;all might have heard that this week — the federal government&#8217;s approach to marijuana.&#8221;
As the crowd cheered, Harris continued, &#8220;Because the bottom line there is nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.&#8221;
San Francisco Republican Party Chairman John Dennis — who is challenging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her seat in Congress — called out the vice president in a <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJohnDennis/status/1579230995814883329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a>, saying, &#8220;Shameless. As California Attorney General Harris sent people to jail for …smoking weed.&#8221;
&#8220;The hypocrisy is staggering,&#8221; actor Matthew Marsden <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewdmarsden/status/1579221383275421697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
U.S. Senate Candidate Mark Meuser (R-CA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkMeuser/status/1579250498724835328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a>: &#8220;Clearly, Kamala has forgotten her legacy in California.&#8221;
&#8220;REMINDER: Kamala Harris has sent at least 1,560 people to prison for marijuana-related offenses,&#8221; Steve Guest, special communications advisor to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1579217017244381184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
&#8220;Kamala Harris comes out against Kamala Harris,&#8221; Dan King <a href="https://twitter.com/Kinger_DC/status/1579237728604282880" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
&#8220;Say what you will about Kamala but at least she’s consistent,&#8221; @MattsIdeaShop <a href="https://twitter.com/MattsIdeaShop/status/1579215240801431553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joked</a>.
&#8220;Now … people can change. But this still funny,&#8221; O&#8217;Shea Jackson tweeted.
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Now….people can change. But this still funny <a href="https://t.co/zALOfoc1v7">https://t.co/zALOfoc1v7</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rm1dCr8m9F">pic.twitter.com/Rm1dCr8m9F</a>
&mdash; O’Shea Jack(Nichol)son (@OsheaJacksonJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/OsheaJacksonJr/status/1579217523853373440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A number of critics pointed to the 2020 presidential campaign — and the moment that many believe Harris&#8217; presidential run really ended — when former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) laid out some of the details of the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-jailing-drug-company-executives-a-matter-of-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former prosecutor&#8217;s record</a> on the debate stage.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="THROWBACK: Tulsi Gabbard ENDS Kamala Harris&#039; Bid for President in 4 Minutes Flat" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WabvabWvv8k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;I want to bring the conversation back to the broken criminal justice system that is disproportionately negatively affecting black and brown people all across this country today,&#8221; Gabbard began, adding, &#8220;Now, Senator Harris says she&#8217;s proud of her record as a prosecutor and she&#8217;ll be a prosecutor president, but I&#8217;m deeply concerned about this record.&#8221;
&#8220;There are too many examples to cite,&#8221; Gabbard continued. &#8220;She put over 1500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.&#8221;

Reproductive Rights: A Conversation With VP Harris And Mini Timmaraju In Austin, TX

Kamala Harris Dragged For Saying No One Should Go To Jail For Smoking Weed

Jail

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

We can&#8217;t have equal justice under the law until <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/welcome-home-now-get-the-hell-out-illegal-aliens-already-bused-out-of-marthas-vineyard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal aliens</a> busted with simple pot possession receive a presidential pardon, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alexandria-ocasio-cortez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)</a> believes.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-pardons-thousands-with-federal-convictions-for-drug-crimes-orders-states-to-do-the-same" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pardoned</a> &#8220;all prior Federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana.&#8221; However, the official proclamation <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/08/politics/biden-marijuana-possession-pardons/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that the order “does not apply to individuals who were non-citizens not lawfully present in the United States at the time of their offense.&#8221; The phrase &#8220;non-citizens not lawfully present in the United States&#8221; means illegal aliens, but for some reason, Democrats find that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-we-should-reject-irregularly-migrate-and-other-leftist-phrases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moniker offensive</a>, so they use eight words instead of two.
In response, the democratic socialist from New York tweeted her praise, but added that Biden &#8220;should treat all people equally and pardon ALL unjust simple possession convictions, not some.&#8221; 
&#8220;If the US is admitting these laws were unjust, then we shouldn’t discriminate pardons based on citizen status,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Let’s get that liberty and justice for ALL.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Additionally, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> should treat all people equally and pardon ALL unjust simple 🍃 possession convictions, not some. 
If the US is admitting these laws were unjust, then we shouldn’t discriminate pardons based on citizen status.
Let’s get that liberty and justice for ALL 🗽
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1578181720523755521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Of course, readers might be thinking, shouldn&#8217;t illegal immigrants convicted of federal marijuana possession just be deported? The better question is: shouldn&#8217;t any illegal alien caught by law enforcement be deported?
Instead of that happening, it seems many illegal aliens occupy our federal prisons.
According to CNN, &#8220;during fiscal year 2021 some 72% of federal offenders in a case of marijuana possession were non-citizens.&#8221; However, it should be noted that data doesn&#8217;t differentiate between those unlawfully present in the U.S. and those legally here, such as green card holders.
Regardless, an immigration attorney told CNN that simple marijuana possession charges could prevent individuals from finding safe harbor in the U.S.
“If you’re in deportation proceedings or applying for a visa or applying [sic] green card, and you’re charged for possession, you will be denied. And you won’t be eligible for a waiver,” he said.
&#8220;You could be denied a green card and you would be denied for life,&#8221; the attorney noted.
If all the illegal aliens caught having a bit of weed in their back pockets were deported, that would spell bad news for AOC and her colleagues.
Illegal immigrants, as well as potheads, are key demographics for the Democratic voting bloc, it would seem.
AOC&#8217;s <a href="https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/legislation/immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> claims, &#8220;It is beyond time for a path to citizenship for all undocumented people in our country.” Of course, &#8220;all undocumented people&#8221; would suggest AOC wants citizenship for every illegal alien in the U.S., including those convicted of far worse crimes than marijuana charges — murder, rape, and more.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also intent on creating millions of new citizens out of those who entered the country unlawfully.
Just last month, Harris <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-has-lost-her-gourd-veep-claims-border-is-secure-yet-blames-trump-for-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC&#8217;s Chuck Todd that we needed to solve the border crisis by putting &#8220;into place a law and a plan for a pathway for citizenship for the millions of people who are here and are prepared to do what is legally required to gain citizenship.&#8221;
Even if that plan never happens, folks in D.C.&#8217;s city government are currently <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dc-council-advances-bill-allowing-noncitizens-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advancing</a> a bill that would allow &#8220;non-citizens&#8221; the right to vote.
So around the nation, the Democratic Party seems intent on expanding the voting pool through pardons, as well as mass amnesty for millions of illegal aliens. You don&#8217;t have to be a political scientist to suspect the Democrats are advancing those goals because they think doing so will help members of their party get elected to power.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

AOC, stock photo

AOC Advocates Pardoning Pothead Illegal Aliens

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>’s mass pardon of those convicted of simple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana">marijuana</a> possession on Thursday is likely to benefit many who were arrested for more serious crimes, according to a legal expert from The Heritage Foundation.
Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/">announced</a> an order Thursday pardoning thousands of people convicted of “simple possession of marijuana.” The president also called on the Health and Human Services secretary and the attorney general to “review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.”
“As I often said during my campaign for president, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Biden said in a statement.
A vast majority of criminal convictions are the <a href="https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/PleaBargainingResearchSummary.pdf">result</a> of plea deals, so many of those benefiting from the president’s pardon were likely originally charged with more serious crimes, according to Paul Larkin, senior legal research fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies.
“95% of the time, federal prosecutors engage in plea bargaining,” Larkin told The Daily Wire. “Is it possible or likely people are going to benefit from this who don&#8217;t deserve it because they actually were accused of a more serious crime? Damn right there is.”
Larkin served nearly a decade investigating and prosecuting criminal cases for the Department of Justice. In addition, he served stints as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and as a special agent for, and later acting director of, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“You are going to have a very large number of people affected by this who were charged with something far more serious so that the government had leverage to get them to cooperate, and then they pled it down to a simple misdemeanor possession,” Larkin said. He gave the example of a drug runner caught smuggling contraband into the U.S. via a go-fast boat.
“Everybody who gets arrested in that circumstance for bringing in, you know, a large quantity of ganja is going to be, you know, eager to make a plea deal because they want to cut their time in prison,” Larkin said. “So what do they do? The government goes along as long as they cooperate. The guy piloting the go-fast boat says who he dealt with at the freighter and who he was supposed to deliver the cannabis to onshore. All that sort of stuff.”
“So they make cases, which is good, and then the guy who helps them out gets a break,” Larkin said.
A senior administration official <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/10/06/background-press-call-on-marijuana-reform/">told</a> reporters on Thursday that Biden’s order is estimated to apply to “over 6,500 people” convicted of simple marijuana possession from 1992 to 2021, as well as thousands of others convicted under the Washington, D.C., drug code. The official also said that no one is in federal prison today solely on simple marijuana possession.
Trevor Burrus, research fellow for constitutional studies at the CATO Institute, said that Biden’s announcement was “welcome and long overdue.” Biden’s announcement will “hopefully be the first of many that will roll back our monstrous federal war on marijuana,” Burrus said in a statement.
“[F]or 85 years it has ruined countless lives. Marijuana should never have been prohibited, and President Biden further asking the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review marijuana’s Schedule I status will hopefully correct that error,” Burrus said.
Larkin said the timing of Biden’s pardon, coming weeks before midterms and on the heels of Biden’s student debt relief announcement, strongly suggests political motives.
“This is just, really, a fraudulent use of the pardon power because it&#8217;s designed to deceive the public into thinking he&#8217;s actually done something noble,” Larkin said. “You know, you can do the right thing for the wrong reason, and that&#8217;s what&#8217;s going on here. If you think these people should not have been convicted because this should not be a crime, then you should have done it early on.”

Biden’s Mass Pardon For Marijuana Possession Likely Benefitting Offenders Guilty Of Worse Crimes, Expert Says

Biden's Mass Pardon For Marijuana Possession Likely Benefitting Offenders Guilty Of Worse Crimes, Expert Says

Pardon

Washington D.C.

WNBA star <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/wnbas-brittney-griner-russian-court-appeal-scheduled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brittney Griner</a> is quickly losing hope in her Russian prison cell, her wife told &#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; host Gayle King on Thursday.
Cherelle Griner made an appearance on the show on behalf of her wife, who was arrested in Russia back in February of this year. The WNBA all-star and Olympic gold medalist was later convicted of drug possession and sentenced in early August to nine years in a Russian prison.
As Cherelle told King on Thursday, just two months into that nine-year sentence, she worried that Brittney was at the &#8220;weakest moment&#8221; of her life.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Cherelle Griner is in the fight of her life to bring home her wife, Brittney Griner, who’s been sentenced to nine years in prison.
She fears the worst: “I don’t know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one.” <a href="https://t.co/WR4fm5RRUt">pic.twitter.com/WR4fm5RRUt</a>
&mdash; CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSMornings/status/1577992457765240832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;On its face, it just seems like my wife is a hostage,&#8221; Cherelle explained to King. &#8220;To know that our government and a foreign government is sitting down and negotiating for her release — she&#8217;s a hostage.&#8221;
Cherelle said that she had been encouraged after meeting with President Joe Biden, and that she believed he wanted to do what he could to bring <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/talks-heat-up-over-brittney-griner-swap-for-russian-terrorist-as-griner-team-appeals-drug-conviction-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brittney</a> home — but she noted that it was ultimately going to take Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s approval to get her released and sent home to the United States.
She also said that she suspected Brittney&#8217;s prominence as a star athlete had been part of the reason that the Russian government had dealt with her so harshly — she cited a number of people who had reported getting caught in Russia with similar contraband and been told to simply pay a fine while Brittney had been sentenced to nine years for less than an ounce of cannabis oil in vape cartridges.
But Cherelle&#8217;s biggest concern, she told King, was that <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/wnba-star-brittney-griner-sentenced-to-9-years-in-russian-prison/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brittney</a> was struggling just to make it from day to day.
&#8220;BG has truly suffered beyond her crime already,&#8221; she said, noting that after her first phone call she had felt encouraged that they could &#8220;survive this.&#8221; After a second phone call, however, she worried that things had changed.
&#8220;The minute I hung up, I think I cried for about two, three days straight,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It was the most disturbing phone call I&#8217;d ever experienced &#8230; you could hear that she was not okay.&#8221;
&#8220;I don’t know if she has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one,&#8221; Cherelle continued.
&#8220;BG is at her absolute weakest moment in life right now. She’s very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia, or just completely used to the point of her detriment,&#8221; Cherelle said. &#8220;She’s saying things to me like, ‘my life just don’t even matter no more.’”
She said that they were hoping for a prisoner swap in the next two weeks, adding that if that did not happen, Brittney could be sent to a labor camp.
&#8220;Your life matters to me,&#8221; Cherelle said she told Brittney. &#8220;I want to get you back home, and I’m going to continue to pray every day that the decision-makers in this situation will have mercy, and will sit down and they will, too, see your life matters and do whatever they can to agree on terms.&#8221;

RUSSIA-US-DIPLOMACY-BASKET-COURT

‘I Don’t Know If She Has Anything Left’: Hoops Star’s Wife Says Russian Prison Is Killing Her

Hoops Star Brittney Griner's Wife Says Russian Prison Is Killing Her

Brittney Griner

Russia

WNBA

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