‘I Rely on Cannabis for Treatment’: American Athlete Facing Execution Over $Four Hundred of Gummies.

When Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player in Indonesia, descended to the lobby of his residence earlier this year to collect a package with illegally imported cannabis gummies, he thought the medicine for easing his Crohn’s disease had arrived.

It had – however, so did 10 undercover police officers. Footage circulating online depicts Shaw, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The Texan native, aged 35, could face the possibility of the death penalty or a long spell behind bars. 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 over three seasons in the country. However, currently he remains in pre-trial detention and is banned for life from the IBL.

“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he explained during a call from his cell just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I suffer from an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s that’s incurable. There’s no medicine besides cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, Shaw resides in Thailand, where cannabis is subject to more liberal laws. He mentions he previously suffered the pain of going without cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but says that medical needs spurred him to bring in the intercepted supply of 132 gummies this year. “I made a stupid mistake,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake does not justify the death penalty or a long spell in prison, he contends. “I’ve been informed I could end up spending the rest of my life in prison over some edibles,” he says. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” In the first two months following his detention, he reached “my most difficult period” and in a “really dark mental place.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he recalls. “Waking up felt unbearable.” Yet, with prayer and his faith, as well as access to a prison gym, he is gradually recovering even while the 6ft 11in athlete occupies a small cell with a dozen men. “I just turned 35 but my energy remains high,” says the ex-college player, with experience in Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia. “I would love to continue my basketball career.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

Shaw, a center or power forward, says cannabis helps ease his anxiety and depression, as well as sleeplessness and the pain from Crohn’s. “I don’t use it to have fun and go party,” he emphasizes. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging to retain meals or go to the toilet. It just soothes some of the symptoms.”

Indonesia takes a hard line regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, via shooting, of several individuals convicted of drug offenses. More than 500 people – with nearly a hundred foreigners – are on death row in the country, primarily due to drug-related crimes.

Indonesian police stated that the athlete messaged his fellow players saying that he planned to distribute some of the cannabis candies among them. “What they consider drugs, I consider medicine,” says Shaw. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

After Shaw’s arrest, authorities told reporters that Shaw could face a life sentence or even the death penalty upon conviction. “Our ongoing investigation aims to the investigation and halt the international drugs network behind this case preventing further spread,” an official stated.

Shaw was swiftly paraded at a press conference, appearing with his hands cuffed wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and a black face mask. He stood with his back to the audience as officials displayed the seized candies, which weigh 869 grams in total and valued at four hundred dollars.

He argued that accusing him of possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unjust and “disturbing,” since most of the weight is made up by the candy material instead of the active ingredient. “I’m accused of a large quantity,” he says. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

Shaw is fundraising for mounting court costs. He has not yet appeared in court although detained months prior, and he awaits his initial court date. “It’s being portrayed like I’m this big drug dealer,” he says. “What reason would I have to import the candy here for sale? They were for my own needs.”

Wider Implications and Advocacy

An advocacy director from a group campaigning for individuals imprisoned for cannabis-related offences commented: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Globally, people are serving harsh penalties for non-violent cannabis offenses which are not dangerous to public safety.” In the United States as well, she noted, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for similar offenses even with legalization in almost half of states and a medical greenlight in all but two. “Such penalties contradict international human rights standards,” she stated.

The potential efficacy of cannabis on Crohn’s disease lacks extensive research but recent studies suggest that cannabis may relieve persistent pain without serious side effects. This comes as, public figures have discussed the benefits of cannabis-based medicines.

There are parallels with this case and that of another American athlete, the acclaimed player who was imprisoned 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 one might encounter,” his friend said on Shaw’s fundraising page. “He erred. However, it’s unjust that mistake should cost him his life prospects.”

American officials in Jakarta stated it is aware of the situation but declined additional details.

An advocacy assistant handling Shaw’s case said: “Cannabis itself is not lethal, but possessing it can. It’s crucial to draw significant focus to this situation in the hope that a favorable outcome can influence future cases. I am committed to making sure Jarred gets home to his mother.”

• The Indonesian National Police did not respond to a request for comment for this story.