She wasn't a drug smuggler, she was a person who was caught with a small amount of cannabis for personal use, that she used medicinally.
Whelan, on the other hand, yes, he WAS a Marine, but heavy emphasis on the was. He was kicked out of the Corps with a Bad Conduct Discharge for larceny (meaning he was a thief). It takes more effort to get a Bad Conduct Discharge than it does to leave the service with a General Discharge, either under Honorable conditions or Less Than Honorable conditions. To do something bad enough to warrant a BCD takes effort and planning.