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As the American basketball player, an American basketball player in Indonesia, descended to his apartment lobby in recent months to pick up a package with smuggled cannabis gummies, he believed the medicine for easing his Crohn’s disease had arrived.

Indeed it did – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. Footage circulating online depicts the athlete, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, crying out in distress as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The Texan native, aged 35, is confronting the possibility of execution or extended imprisonment. Previously, he served as a key member of Prawira Bandung, which clinched the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated more than 1,000 points over three seasons in the country. However, currently he is languishing in detention before trial and faces a lifetime ban from the IBL.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he stated over the phone from a prison near Jakarta, the capital. “I suffer from an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s incurable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, Shaw resides in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are more liberal laws. He says he had endured the pain of going without cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but explains how medical needs spurred him to import the intercepted supply of over a hundred edibles recently. “I made a stupid mistake,” he admits.

Legal and Personal Struggles

But that mistake does not justify execution or lengthy incarceration, he contends. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend my entire future behind bars for cannabis candies,” he says. “I’ve never been through any previous experience.” Initially, for weeks following his detention, he was at “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “really dark mental place.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he shares. “Waking up felt unbearable.” Yet, with spiritual practices, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is starting to feel himself again despite the tall sportsman occupies a small cell with a dozen men. “I recently celebrated my 35th birthday but my energy remains high,” says the former Utah State basketballer, with experience in multiple countries. “I would love to continue playing professionally.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

Shaw, who plays as a center or power forward, says cannabis helps ease his mental health struggles, as well as sleeplessness and the discomfort of his condition. “I don’t use it to have fun or social events,” he emphasizes. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging to retain meals or go to the toilet. It merely eases some of the symptoms.”

The nation enforces strict policies on drugs and conducted executions in 2016, by firing squad, of several individuals convicted of drug offenses. More than 500 people – including almost 100 foreigners – face execution in the country, primarily due to narcotics violations.

Indonesian police stated that Shaw sent text messages to his teammates indicating he planned to distribute some of the cannabis candies with them. “What they consider drugs, I consider medicine,” he remarks. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

Following his detention, authorities told reporters that Shaw could face life in prison or even the death penalty if found guilty. “Our ongoing investigation aims to the investigation to uncover global drug networks involved preventing further spread,” a representative stated.

The athlete was presented at a press conference, appearing with his hands cuffed wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and face covering. He faced away from spectators as officials exhibited the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and are worth $400.

He said that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unjust and “sick,” given that the bulk is made up by the candy material instead of the cannabis content. “I’ve been charged for a large quantity,” he says. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

Shaw is fundraising to cover mounting court costs. He has not yet appeared in court although detained months prior, and he awaits his initial court date. “They’re making it seem as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “Why would I bring the candy here for sale? It was for personal use.”

Wider Implications and Advocacy

An advocacy director from an organization supporting the release of people jailed over cannabis said: “This situation is not unique. Globally, people are serving harsh penalties for non-violent cannabis offenses that pose no threat to society.” In the United States as well, she added, many people are still imprisoned for similar offenses even with legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in most regions. “These punishments run counter to global human rights norms,” she emphasized.

The potential efficacy of cannabis for Crohn’s lacks extensive research but recent papers suggest that cannabis can ease chronic lower back pain with minimal risks. This comes as, leaders have discussed potential advantages of cannabis treatments.

Similarities exist with this case and that of another American athlete, the acclaimed player detained in another country for nearly a year in 2022 when officials discovered cannabis products in her luggage. She was later freed through an exchange with a foreign national.

“He is known as one of the most generous and selfless people you could meet,” his friend 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 says they know about Shaw’s case but declined additional details.

An advocacy assistant handling Shaw’s case commented: “Cannabis itself is not lethal, but possessing it can. We must get significant focus to this situation in the hope that a favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I am committed to making sure Jarred gets home to his family.”

• The Indonesian National Police offered no reply to a request for comment for this story.