Russia Detains German Possessing Cannabis Gummies Amid Putin-Washington Swap Talks For Imprisoned WSJ Reporter

A 38-year-old German national was detained upon arrival in St. Petersburg Wednesday after Russian customs officials discovered cannabis-infused gummies in his luggage, according to Russia’s customs service.

The man, arriving from Istanbul, was found to have a pack of “Fink Green Goldbears” stamped with a picture of a marijuana leaf in his luggage.

“The passenger explained that at the end of last year, he had bought 10 sweets containing marijuana in one of the specialty stores in his homeland,” Russian customs service said, according to a Reuters report, adding that the man used the gummies to sleep on long flights.

He now faces a criminal drug smuggling charge that carries a maximum sentence of seven years.

Americans In Russian Prisons: A Deal On The Table?

This arrest of the German cannabis carrier carries potential geopolitical implications amid ongoing discussions between Russia and the United States regarding a possible prisoner swap. Moscow is seeking the release of a Russian jailed for murder in Germany as part of a possible wider prisoner swap with the U.S.

The U.S. citizens in question are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in March 2023 and charged with espionage — the first time Russia had accused an American journalist of spying since the Cold War. The other, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, was arrested in Moscow in 2018 was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signaled openness to Gershkovich’s release, suggesting an exchange involving Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted of murdering a Chechen dissident in Berlin in 2019.

While Germany has not commented on the reports seeking to exchange Krasikov for Gershkovich, such a swap would be unusual, noted Reuters. Releasing a murder convict in exchange for a detained foreign citizen represents a significant concession, raising questions about potential political motivations and future implications for international relations.

Another High Profile Prisoner Exchange: Brittney Griner

Brittney Griner, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist who'd been sentenced to nine years in prison for possessing less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her suitcase upon entering Moscow, was swapped in December 2022 after 10 months. She was exchanged for Russian arms dealer and Putin comrade Viktor Bout.

Photo: Russian prison courtesy of VOA.