Brittney Griner Was Prescribed Cannabis, Lawyers Testify In Court

Brittney Griner‘s lawyers are making a case for the WNBA star.

The athlete, wearing a Nirvana T-shirt, appeared in Russian court for her fourth hearing on July 15, with her defense team now saying she had a prescription to take medical marijuana to treat a chronic injury. “The attending physician gave Brittney recommendations for the use of medical cannabis,” one of her lawyers, Maria Blagovolina, told the Associated Press. “The permission was issued on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health.”

The Phoenix Mercury star, who plays for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA’s off-season, was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for allegedly possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. Griner was charged with smuggling of narcotics, which carries a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison, according to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced on Telegram after her arrest.