Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate have come together in support of a resolution calling for the release of Brittney Griner, the basketball star who has been held in a Russian prison since February over drug charges.

More than 30 senators joined as cosponsors of the resolution, which “calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately release [Griner]”; “urges the United States, in all interactions with the Government of the Russian Federation, to raise the case of Brittney Griner and to press for her release”; “urges the Government of the Russian Federation to provide consular access to Brittney Griner while she remains in detention”; “urges the Government of the Russian Federation to respect the human rights of Brittney Griner”; and “expresses support to the family of Brittney Griner and a commitment to bringing her home.”

The resolution additionally expresses support for Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen who was arrested in Russia in 2018 on espionage charges, along with “all prisoners unjustly imprisoned in the Russian Federation.”

It was written by Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Kristen Sinema, both of Arizona, where Griner’s WNBA team the Phoenix Mercury plays, as well as Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the home of Griner’s alma mater, Baylor University.

“I’ve worked with the State Department to make sure that Brittney Griner’s safe return is a top priority, and this bipartisan resolution shows the Senate’s support for her as well. Brittney Griner is an inspiration to Arizonans and Americans across the country. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her and seeing her talent on the court up close. The Russian government unjustly detained Brittney and we will keep working with the administration to ensure her safe and swift return,” Kelly said in a statement on Thursday.

“Arizonans have love and admiration for Brittney Griner both on and off the court,” Sinema said. “The Department of State has determined that Brittney was wrongfully detained – it’s past time for her to come home.”

Griner was arrested on February 17 at an airport in Moscow while traveling back to Russia to complete her season for UMMC Ekaterinburg, which she plays for during the WNBA’s offseason.

She was accused of carrying cannabis oil in her luggage, and faces up to 10 years in prison on drug charges.

After her trial commenced earlier this month, Griner pleaded guilty to the charges, but said she did not intend to break the law.

Griner’s detention, coming not long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is widely viewed as politically motivated. The U.S. Department of State in May reclassified Griner as “wrongfully detained.”

Russia has given suggestions as of late that it could be angling for a prisoner swap involving Griner and Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence in the U.S.

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is facing mounting pressure to bring Griner home.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, earlier this month, after Brittney Griner sent a letter to the president.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote in the letter.

“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees,” Griner continued. “Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.”

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a bill that would permit cannabis advertising on broadcast television and radio stations. The legislation is included as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill, which was passed by lawmakers in the House on Wednesday.

Under the provisions of the appropriations bill, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would be barred from using appropriated funds to deny a broadcaster a license renewal or sale application for airing cannabis advertising in jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana. The FCC would also be prohibited from requiring a station to file an early license renewal application for broadcasting cannabis ads.

Current regulations allow the FCC to revoke a license from broadcasters that air advertisements for federally illegal products including weed, even in states that have passed laws legalizing cannabis. As a result, cannabis businesses are limited to advertising in other forums including print newspapers and magazines, online, billboards, cable television, satellite radio, and social media. Alex Siciliano, a spokesman for the National Associations of Broadcasters, said on Wednesday that the legislation passed in the House this week levels the playing field for cannabis advertising.

“For too long, local broadcasters have been stuck in a regulatory purgatory because of conflicting federal and state cannabis laws,” Siciliano said in a statement. “Today’s passage marks an important step towards allowing broadcasters to receive equal treatment for cannabis advertising that many other forms of media have enjoyed for years. While we are pleased to see the House act, broadcasters will continue to work with policymakers for a permanent resolution to this competitive disparity to the benefit of consumers.”

Broadcasting Groups Applaud Legislation

The spending bill was passed by the House Appropriations committee in June. The legislation gives broadcasters access to the growing market for cannabis advertising, which is expected to total $18.5 billion this year alone.

“We are pleased to see that this bipartisan language has advanced in the House today,” Siciliano said in a statement late last month. “As the vast majority of states have legalized cannabis in some form, today marks a long overdue step toward finally allowing broadcasters to receive equal treatment regarding cannabis advertising that other forms of media have had for years.”

David Donovan, president of the New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA), thanked lawmakers in the House “for recognizing the unfairness of the present situation with respect to cannabis advertising.”

“The provision in this House appropriations bill is a major step forward for leveling the playing field for local broadcasters,” Donovan said in a statement from the broadcasting industry group. “We believe the law of the state in which a station is licensed should determine whether a station can accept cannabis advertising if they so choose. We look forward to working with members of Congress and the Administration to help restore parity between local broadcasters and other media outlets.”

“We believe the law of the state in which a station is licensed should determine whether a station can accept cannabis advertising if they so choose,” Donovan added. “We look forward to working with members of Congress and the Administration to help restore parity between local broadcasters and other media outlets.”

Before the bill becomes effective, it must still be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden. The NYSBA noted that gaining Senate approval for the legislation may be a challenge.

“The appropriations process is notoriously complex, which means the bill may get stalled. Congress is likely to adopt an interim budget through a continuing resolution. At some point, perhaps after the mid-term elections, there will be a final vote. Even if it passes, the legislation is not a ‘silver bullet.’”

Because the cannabis advertising provisions were passed as part of an annual appropriations bill, the prohibition on the FCC taking action against broadcasters for airing weed ads would only be in effect for one year, beginning on October 1. For the marijuana advertising terms to continue, the appropriations language must be reauthorized each year.

It has been more than a year since the new medical cannabis law in South Dakota officially took effect, but there are still no state-approved dispensaries serving patients.

That is about to change.

Next week, when Unity Rd. opens its doors in Hartford, South Dakota––a town of about 3,300 located just outside Sioux Falls, the state’s largest city––it will make history as the first state-licensed medical cannabis dispensary in the Mount Rushmore State.

“We were really pushing hard to get that number one on the door to be the first legal, state-issued license,” B.J. Olson, one of the co-owners of Unity Rd., told the Argus Leader newspaper. “That doesn’t happen, unless you have your foot on the gas from the beginning.”

“We bought the property, we began building the building with no piece of paper, and worst case, we decided we’re gonna build a beautiful structure to lease to somebody and best case, we’re going to be the first dispensary in the state,” said Adam Jorgenson, the other co-owner.

According to the Argus Leader, “Unity Rd. is a franchise and also has shops in Oklahoma and Colorado.”

Voters in South Dakota overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure in 2020 that legalized medical cannabis treatment in the state.

The law officially took effect on July 1, 2021, well before the state had begun issuing licenses for would-be dispensaries. But members of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe opened a dispensary shortly after the official start date last summer, bringing tension between the tribe and the state.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and other state officials have said that they will not recognize medical cannabis cards issued to individuals who are not members of the tribe.

The Argus Leader reported that, as of February, “the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe [had] issued about 8,000 medical marijuana cards to tribal and non-tribal members,” and that, “although several county- and city-level law enforcement agencies and state’s attorneys have eased up on arrests and prosecutions for possession of small amounts of marijuana all together, others, like the Flandreau Police Department are not honoring some tribal-issued medical cards.”

The tribe said at the time that more than 100 people who had been issued tribal medical cannabis cards had been arrested since the dispensary opened last July.

Unity Rd. will “offer a number of products including flower, vape cartridges, topicals, pre-rolls and edibles,” according to the Argus Leader, although initially “only flower will be sold, but the business expects to add products in a couple of weeks.”

The state’s medical cannabis law has faced a sluggish rollout. As of April, there were barely 400 patients who had been enrolled in the program, while only 90 doctors statewide were allowed to approve the use of medical cannabis for their patients.

South Dakota voters also approved an amendment in 2020 that legalized recreational cannabis, but that law was ultimately overturned by the state Supreme Court after it drew a legal challenge by Republican Gov. Kristi Noem.

Noem, a possible 2022 GOP presidential contender, celebrated the ruling.

“South Dakota is a place where the rule of law and our Constitution matter, and that’s what today’s decision is about,” Noem said at the time. “We do things right—and how we do things matters just as much as what we are doing. We are still governed by the rule of law. This decision does not affect my Administration’s implementation of the medical cannabis program voters approved in 2020. That program was launched earlier this month, and the first cards have already gone out to eligible South Dakotans.”

South Dakota will have another shot at legalizing recreational cannabis this fall, however, with a new measure qualifying for the November ballot.