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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 thought the medicine for easing his chronic inflammatory condition had been delivered.

It had – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. A video on social media depicts Shaw, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The Texan native, aged 35, could face potential execution or a long spell behind bars. He was a key member 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 country. However, currently he is languishing in pre-trial detention and is banned for life from the league.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he stated over the phone from his cell just outside Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. “I suffer from an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine besides cannabis that relieves my abdominal pain.”

During the off-season, Shaw resides in a neighboring country, where cannabis is subject to less restrictive. He says he previously suffered discomfort of abstaining from cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but says that health reasons spurred him to bring in the seized batch of over a hundred edibles this year. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Legal and Personal Struggles

However, this error does not justify execution or lengthy incarceration, he contends. “There’s people telling me I could end up spending the rest of my life in prison over some edibles,” he states. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” Initially, for weeks after his arrest, he was at “my most difficult period” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I felt helpless and alone,” he shares. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” But through prayer and his faith, along with time in a detention center gym, he is starting to feel himself again even while the tall sportsman occupies a small cell with a dozen men. “I just turned 35 but I still feel young,” notes the former Utah State basketballer, who has played in multiple countries. “I hope to resume playing professionally.”

Medical Use vs. Legal Perception

Shaw, a center or power forward, explains cannabis helps ease his anxiety and depression, as well as insomnia and the pain from Crohn’s. “It’s not for recreation or social events,” he emphasizes. “With my stomach condition, it can be challenging 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, via shooting, of an Indonesian and three foreigners found guilty of drug offenses. More than 500 people – with nearly a hundred foreigners – are on death row in the country, primarily due to narcotics violations.

Law enforcement have said that the athlete messaged to his teammates indicating he would share some of the cannabis candies among them. “What they consider drugs, I consider medicine,” says Shaw. “It’s just different cultures.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

Following his detention, police officials informed the media that the American could face life in prison or possibly execution upon conviction. “We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case and to stop its distribution,” an official stated.

Shaw was swiftly paraded during a media event, shown in handcuffs wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and face covering. He stood with his back to the audience as police chiefs exhibited the cannabis gummies, which weigh 869 grams in total and are worth $400.

He said that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unfair and “sick,” given that the bulk comes from the gummies themselves rather than the active ingredient. “I’ve been charged for a large quantity,” he notes. “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 like I’m this big drug dealer,” he says. “What reason would I have to import these items to sell? They were for my own needs.”

Wider Implications and Advocacy

An advocacy director from an organization campaigning for individuals imprisoned for cannabis-related offences said: “This situation is not unique. Globally, individuals face harsh penalties for low-level cannabis crimes that pose no threat to public safety.” Even in the US, she noted, tens of thousands remain incarcerated for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in most regions. “These punishments contradict international human rights standards,” she emphasized.

Possible benefits of cannabis on Crohn’s disease lacks extensive research but recent papers have indicated that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain with minimal risks. This comes as, public figures have discussed the benefits of cannabis treatments.

There are parallels with this case and that of another American athlete, the decorated American basketball player who was imprisoned in another country for 10 months in 2022 when officials discovered cannabis products in her bags. She was later freed through an exchange involving a Russian weapons trafficker.

“He is known as an exceptionally kind and selfless people you could meet,” his friend said on Shaw’s fundraising page. “He erred. However, it’s unjust that this should ruin his entire future.”

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

A support worker involved in the case said: “Cannabis itself is not lethal, but possessing it can. We must get significant focus on this case so 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 did not respond regarding inquiries for this story.