🔗 Share this article

As Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player in Indonesia, descended to his apartment lobby earlier this year to collect a package containing illegally imported cannabis gummies, he believed his medication for relieving his Crohn’s disease had been delivered.

It had – but so too had 10 undercover police officers. Footage circulating online shows the athlete, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as multiple law enforcement agents attempt to detain him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, is confronting potential the death penalty or extended imprisonment. Previously, he served as an integral player of his Indonesian team, which clinched the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he scored over a thousand points over three seasons in the nation. However, currently he is languishing in detention before trial and faces a lifetime ban from the league.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he explained during a call from a prison near Jakarta, the capital. “I suffer from a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s disease that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine besides cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, Shaw lives in a neighboring country, where the laws on cannabis are less restrictive. He mentions he had endured discomfort of abstaining from cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but explains how medical needs led him to import the seized batch of 132 gummies recently. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Legal and Personal Struggles

But that mistake should not warrant the death penalty or a long spell in prison, he contends. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend the rest of my life in prison over some edibles,” he says. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” In the first two months following his detention, he reached “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” Yet, with spiritual practices, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is gradually recovering despite the 6ft 11in athlete shares a cramped cell with multiple inmates. “I recently celebrated my 35th birthday but my energy remains high,” notes the ex-college player, with experience in multiple countries. “I hope to resume my basketball career.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

Shaw, a center or power forward, says cannabis alleviates his mental health struggles, as well as insomnia and the discomfort of his condition. “I don’t use it to have fun and go party,” he clarifies. “With my stomach condition, sometimes it’s hard for me to keep food down or go to the toilet. It merely eases the pain a little bit.”

The nation enforces strict policies on drugs and conducted executions in 2016, by firing squad, of several individuals found guilty of drug offenses. More than 500 people – including almost 100 foreigners – are on death row in the nation, primarily due to drug-related crimes.

Indonesian police have said that the athlete messaged his fellow players indicating he planned to distribute portions of the edibles with them. “What they consider drugs, I view as treatment,” he remarks. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Fundraising and Future Hopes

Following his detention, police officials told reporters that the American could face a life sentence or possibly execution upon conviction. “We are still running the investigation to uncover global drug networks behind this case preventing further spread,” an official stated.

The athlete was presented at a press conference, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and a black face mask. He stood with his back to the audience as officials exhibited the cannabis gummies, which weigh 869 grams in total and valued at four hundred dollars.

He argued that to charge him with holding nearly a kilogram of cannabis is unjust and “sick,” given that most of the weight is made up by the candy material instead of the active ingredient. “I’m accused of a large quantity,” he says. “My actual possession was far less.”

The player is seeking donations for mounting court costs. His trial has not begun although detained months prior, and he is still waiting for a first appearance date. “They’re making it seem as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “Why would I bring the candy here to sell? It was for personal use.”

Broader Context and Support

A representative from a group supporting the release of people jailed over cannabis commented: “This situation is not unique. Around the world, individuals face extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses which are not dangerous to public safety.” In the United States as well, she added, tens of thousands remain incarcerated for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in all but two. “Such penalties run counter to international human rights standards,” she emphasized.

The potential efficacy of cannabis on Crohn’s disease is understudied but recent studies have indicated that cannabis can ease chronic lower back pain with minimal risks. Amid this, public figures have highlighted the benefits of cannabis treatments.

Similarities exist with this case and that of another American athlete, the decorated American basketball player detained in another country for 10 months in 2022 when officials discovered cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. Griner was eventually released through an exchange with a foreign national.

“Jarred has always been an exceptionally kind and selfless people you could meet,” a close associate said on Shaw’s fundraising page. “He erred. But I don’t believe that mistake should cost him his life prospects.”

The US embassy in Jakarta says they know about the situation but would not comment further.

A support worker handling Shaw’s case commented: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but ownership might be. It’s crucial to draw significant focus to this situation in the hope that a positive resolution can influence future cases. I am committed to making sure he returns to his family.”

• Local authorities did not respond to a request for comment for this story.