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When the American basketball player, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to his apartment lobby earlier this year to collect a delivery with smuggled cannabis gummies, he thought the medicine for easing his chronic inflammatory condition had been delivered.

Indeed it did – but so too had a team of ten plainclothes officers. A video on social media shows Shaw, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as the swarm of officers attempt to detain him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, could face the possibility of the death penalty or a long spell behind bars. Previously, he served as a key member of his Indonesian team, which clinched the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated 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.

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

When not playing, the athlete resides in a neighboring country, where cannabis is subject to less restrictive. He says he had endured the pain of going without cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but says that medical needs led him to bring in the intercepted supply of over a hundred edibles recently. “It was a foolish error,” he admits.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake does not justify the death penalty or lengthy incarceration, he contends. “There’s people telling me I could end up spending the rest of my life behind bars over some edibles,” he says. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” Initially, for weeks after his arrest, he reached “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “really dark mental place.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” But through prayer and his faith, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is starting to feel himself again despite the 6ft 11in athlete 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 Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia. “I hope to resume my basketball career.”

Medical Use vs. Legal Perception

Shaw, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis alleviates his anxiety and depression, in addition to insomnia and the discomfort of his condition. “I don’t use it to have fun or social events,” he clarifies. “With my stomach condition, it can be challenging to retain meals or use the restroom. It merely eases the pain a little bit.”

Indonesia takes a hard line regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, via shooting, 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.

Law enforcement have said that the athlete messaged his fellow players indicating he planned to distribute some of the cannabis candies among them. “What they consider drugs, I view as treatment,” says Shaw. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

Following his detention, police officials informed the media that the American might receive a life sentence or possibly execution upon conviction. “We are still running uncover to uncover the international drugs network involved and to stop its distribution,” a representative said.

The athlete was presented during a media event, appearing with his hands cuffed wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and a black face mask. He faced away from spectators as officials exhibited the seized candies, which weigh 869 grams in total and are worth $400.

He argued that accusing him of holding nearly a kilogram of cannabis is unjust and “sick,” since most of the weight comes from the gummies themselves instead of the cannabis content. “I’m accused of a large quantity,” he notes. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

The player is seeking donations for mounting court costs. He has not yet appeared in court although detained months prior, and he is still waiting his initial court date. “They’re making it seem as if I’m a major trafficker,” he asserts. “What reason would I have to import these items for sale? 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: “This situation is not unique. Globally, people are serving extreme sentences for low-level cannabis crimes which are not dangerous to society.” Even in the US, she added, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in most regions. “These punishments contradict 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 the benefits of cannabis treatments.

Similarities exist with this case and that of Brittney Griner, the decorated American basketball player detained in another country for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis products in her bags. She was later freed through an exchange with a foreign national.

“Jarred has always been one of the most generous and caring individual one might encounter,” a close associate remarked in a supportive statement. “Jarred made a mistake. However, it’s unjust that mistake should cost him his life prospects.”

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

A support worker involved in the case said: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but ownership might be. We must get as much attention on this case so that a favorable outcome can influence future cases. I’m dedicated to making sure he returns to his family.”

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