🔗 Share this article

As the American basketball player, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to the lobby of his residence earlier this year to pick up a package containing smuggled cannabis gummies, he believed his medication for relieving his chronic inflammatory condition had been delivered.

Indeed it did – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. Footage circulating online depicts the athlete, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as multiple law enforcement agents attempt to detain him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, is confronting potential the death penalty or extended imprisonment. Previously, he served as an integral player 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 nation. But now he is languishing in pre-trial detention 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 have a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s disease that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my stomach from aching.”

During the off-season, Shaw resides in a neighboring country, where cannabis is subject to more liberal laws. He mentions he had endured discomfort of abstaining from cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but explains how health reasons led him to import the intercepted supply of 132 gummies this year. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

However, this error does not justify execution or a long spell in prison, he contends. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend my entire future in prison over some edibles,” he says. “This is unlike any previous experience.” Initially, for weeks following his detention, he was at “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he shares. “Waking up felt unbearable.” But through prayer and his faith, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is gradually recovering despite the 6ft 11in athlete shares a cramped cell with a dozen men. “I just turned 35 but I still feel young,” says the former Utah State basketballer, who has played in multiple countries. “I would love to continue playing professionally.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

Shaw, a center or power forward, says cannabis helps ease his anxiety and depression, in addition to sleeplessness and the pain from Crohn’s. “It’s not for recreation or social events,” he clarifies. “With my stomach condition, it can be challenging for me to keep food down or use the restroom. It merely eases some of the symptoms.”

The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, by firing squad, of an Indonesian and three foreigners convicted of drug offenses. More than 500 people – with nearly a hundred foreigners – face execution in the country, mostly for drug-related crimes.

Law enforcement stated that Shaw sent text messages his fellow players indicating he would share portions of the edibles with them. “Their definition of narcotics, I consider medicine,” says Shaw. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

After Shaw’s arrest, authorities informed the media that the American might receive a life sentence or even the death penalty upon conviction. “Our ongoing investigation aims to the investigation and halt the international drugs network involved and to stop its distribution,” a representative stated.

Shaw was swiftly paraded during a media event, shown in handcuffs wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and face covering. He faced away from spectators as police chiefs displayed the seized candies, 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 unfair and “sick,” since the bulk is made up by the gummies themselves instead of the cannabis content. “I’ve been charged for almost a kilo,” he notes. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

The player is seeking donations to cover mounting court costs. He has not yet appeared in court although detained months prior, and he is still waiting for a first appearance date. “It’s being portrayed as if I’m a major trafficker,” he asserts. “What reason would I have to import the candy here to sell? It was for personal use.”

Broader Context and Support

A representative from an organization campaigning for the release of people imprisoned for cannabis-related offences said: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Globally, people are serving extreme sentences for low-level cannabis crimes which are not dangerous to public safety.” Even in the US, she noted, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in all but two. “Such penalties run counter to global human rights norms,” she stated.

Possible benefits of cannabis for Crohn’s is understudied but recent studies suggest that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain without serious side effects. This comes as, public figures have discussed potential advantages of cannabis-based medicines.

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 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 caring individual one might encounter,” his friend said on Shaw’s fundraising page. “He erred. However, it’s unjust that mistake should cost him his entire future.”

American officials in Jakarta says they know about Shaw’s case but declined additional details.

A support worker involved in the 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 favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I am committed to ensuring Jarred gets home to his family.”

• Local authorities did not respond regarding inquiries on this matter.