Cherelle spoke at the rally about how much she wanted her to come back. There is a time and a place for this.
Russia's Foreign Ministry lashed out at the United States on Thursday, saying it shows disrespect for Russian law.
Since her arrest at the Moscow airport in February, she has been in jail. She admitted in court that she had the canisters, but said she had no intent to break the law.
If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison. The trial is due to resume Tuesday.
The government's chief hostage negotiator was put in charge of her case after the State Department designated her as wrongly imprisoned. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at increasing the flow of information to the families of Americans who are held captive.
Maria Zakharova said that the legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use in the U.S. has no bearing on what happens in Russia.
"If a U.S. citizen was taken in connection with the fact that she was drugs smuggler, and she does not deny this, then this should be in line with our Russian, local laws, and not with those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington," Zakhar
Russian media have speculated that a Russian arms trader named Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States, and an American who is imprisoned in Russia, may be involved in a swap.
The prospects for such a trade have not been commented on. The Russian officials said no exchange could take place until the legal proceedings were over. It's not clear how long the trial will last, but a court has given the green light to keep him in jail until December 20.
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