What’s with everyone determined to spring Americans who trafficked narcotics internationally? As a medical marijuana patient and advocate, I can say that Marc Fogel is actually correctly detained, pursuant to both American federal and Russian laws. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and I find it hard to believe that someone who’d spent time in Russian culture would think that an American doctor’s note would count for a hill of beets against Russian laws.
Just because he’s your friend, role model or member of your community doesn’t mean he gets to take illegal substances into foreign countries. Brittney Griner had a high profile, whereas Fogel does not; you can’t expect American-style justice (for all) from a Russian oligarchy that has caught several U.S. citizens smuggling U.S. drugs into their country.
I thought we wanted to lock all the drug smugglers away, or is that only the importers?
Billy King
Dormont