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charges of smuggling cannabis. it was nearly the maximum sentence for bringing less than one gram of cannabis oil into the country. britney griner pleaded guilty last month to -- cartridges in her possession, which arrived -- i airport -- in february. but she told the court that bringing them into russia was an honest mistake after she packed in a hurry. before the sentencing today, unemotional britney griner apologized, saying she never intended to break any laws in a final plea for leniency. >> i never meant to hurt anybody. i never meant to put in jeopardy the russian population. ...

Is being used as a political pawn. so, joe, we have talked previously about the potential for this severe sentencing, nine years in a penal colony. can you actually tell us what's that mean? i'm not actually familiar with what a penal colony in russia is actually like? tell us. >> most of the prisons in russia are actually penal colonies, over 600 colonies -- they've all from just on forced labor camps. prisoners there are no longer have to break rocks, do mining, but they do manual labor. in [inaudible] for example. it is a harsh environment but not a brutal one. they do get decent food and i...