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When Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to his apartment lobby in recent months to collect a package containing smuggled cannabis gummies, he thought his medication for easing his Crohn’s disease had been delivered.

It had – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. A video on social media depicts Shaw, dressed in a dark top and shorts, crying out in distress as multiple law enforcement agents attempt to detain him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The Texan native, aged 35, is confronting potential the death penalty or extended imprisonment. Previously, he served as an integral player of his Indonesian team, who won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he scored more than 1,000 points across three years in the country. However, currently he is languishing in detention before trial and faces a lifetime ban from the IBL.

“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he stated during a call from a prison just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I have an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s incurable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that relieves my stomach from aching.”

When not playing, the athlete resides in a neighboring country, where the laws on cannabis are more liberal laws. He says he previously suffered the pain of going without cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but says that medical needs led him to import the seized batch of 132 gummies this year. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake does not justify execution or lengthy incarceration, he argues. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend my entire future behind bars over some edibles,” he states. “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.” But through prayer and his faith, along with time in a prison gym, he is starting to feel himself again even while the tall sportsman occupies a small cell with multiple inmates. “I just turned 35 but I still feel young,” notes the ex-college player, who has played in multiple countries. “I hope to resume playing professionally.”

Medical Use vs. Legal Perception

The player, who plays as a center or power forward, says cannabis helps ease his anxiety and depression, in addition to insomnia and the pain from Crohn’s. “It’s not for recreation or social events,” he clarifies. “With my stomach condition, sometimes it’s hard to retain meals or use the restroom. It just soothes some of the symptoms.”

The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and conducted executions in 2016, via shooting, of several individuals convicted of drug offenses. Over five hundred individuals – including almost 100 foreigners – are on death row in the country, mostly for drug-related crimes.

Indonesian police have said that Shaw sent text messages to his teammates indicating he would share portions of the edibles with them. “What they consider drugs, I consider medicine,” says Shaw. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Fundraising and Future Hopes

Following his detention, authorities informed the media that the American might receive life in prison or possibly execution upon conviction. “We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network involved preventing further spread,” a representative said.

Shaw was swiftly paraded during a media event, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and face covering. He stood with his back to the audience as officials exhibited the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and valued at four hundred dollars.

He argued that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo 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’ve been charged for a large quantity,” he notes. “My actual possession was far less.”

Shaw is fundraising to cover mounting court costs. His trial has not begun despite being arrested five months ago, and he awaits his initial court date. “It’s being portrayed as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “Why would I bring the candy here for sale? They were for my own needs.”

Broader Context and Support

A representative from a group campaigning for the release of people imprisoned for cannabis-related offences said: “Jarred’s case is not an isolated incident. Around the world, individuals face harsh penalties for non-violent cannabis offenses which are not dangerous to society.” In the United States as well, she noted, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for cannabis offences despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in all but two. “These punishments run counter to international human rights standards,” she stated.

Possible benefits of cannabis for Crohn’s is understudied but recent studies have indicated that cannabis can ease chronic lower back pain without serious side effects. This comes as, public figures have discussed the benefits of cannabis treatments.

There are parallels between Shaw’s case and the situation of another American athlete, the decorated American basketball player detained in another country for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis products in her luggage. She was later freed as part of a prisoner swap involving a Russian weapons trafficker.

“Jarred has always been an exceptionally kind and selfless people one might encounter,” a close associate remarked in a supportive statement. “Jarred made a mistake. But I don’t believe that this should ruin his life prospects.”

The US embassy in the capital stated they know about the situation but would not comment further.

A support worker handling Shaw’s case said: “Cannabis itself is not lethal, but ownership might be. We must get as much attention to this situation in the hope that a favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I am committed to making sure he returns to his family.”

• Local authorities offered no reply to a request for comment on this matter.