by saying Biden should release anyone jailed for weed-related offenses in the US too Elon Musk has waded into the federal government's efforts to free WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian captivity, saying the Biden administration should also free anyone else jailed for weed offenses in the United States.
'If the president is working so hard to free someone who is in jail in Russia for some weed, shouldn't we free people in America?' Musk said in an episode of the Full Send podcast.
'There are people in jail in America for the same stuff, shouldn't we free them too?' he asked, adding: 'My opinion is that people should not be in jail for nonviolent drug crimes.'
Griner, 31, was found guilty on Thursday of smuggling drugs into Russia after a judge rejected her claims she accidentally left a marijuana pen in her bag when she entered the country in February. She was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Almost immediately following the verdict, U.S. President Joe Biden said he would work 'tirelessly' to pursue 'every possible avenue' to bring her and Paul Whelan - another American imprisoned in Russia - home.
The State Department is now working to negotiate a prisoner swap for the two Americans in exchange for Viktor Boult, a Russian arms dealer known as the criminal known as the 'merchant of death.'