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As the American basketball player, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to the lobby of his residence earlier this year to collect a delivery with smuggled cannabis gummies, he believed the medicine for relieving his Crohn’s disease had been delivered.

It had – but so too had a team of ten plainclothes officers. Footage circulating online depicts the athlete, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, could face potential the death penalty or extended imprisonment. Previously, he served as a key member of Prawira Bandung, who won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated over a thousand points across three years in the country. But now he is languishing in pre-trial detention and faces a lifetime ban from the league.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he stated during a call from his cell near Jakarta, the capital. “I have an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine besides cannabis that stops my stomach from aching.”

When not playing, Shaw resides in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are less restrictive. He mentions he previously suffered the pain of going without cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but says that health reasons spurred him to import the intercepted supply of over a hundred edibles this year. “It was a foolish error,” he admits.

Challenges in Law and Life

However, this error should not warrant the death penalty or lengthy incarceration, he argues. “There’s people telling me I could end up spending the rest of my life in prison for cannabis candies,” he states. “This is unlike any previous experience.” In the first two months following his detention, he reached “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he recalls. “Waking up felt unbearable.” Yet, with prayer and his faith, along with time in a prison gym, he is gradually recovering even while the 6ft 11in athlete shares a cramped cell with multiple inmates. “I just turned 35 but I still feel young,” says the ex-college player, who has played in Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia. “I would love to continue my basketball career.”

Medical Use vs. Legal Perception

Shaw, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis helps ease his anxiety and depression, as well as insomnia and the discomfort of his condition. “I don’t use it to have fun and go party,” he emphasizes. “With my stomach condition, sometimes it’s hard for me to keep food down or go to the toilet. It merely eases some of the symptoms.”

Indonesia takes a hard line on drugs and carried out executions in 2016, via shooting, of several individuals found guilty of drug offenses. More than 500 people – including almost 100 foreigners – face execution in the nation, mostly for drug-related crimes.

Indonesian police stated that the athlete messaged to his teammates saying that he planned to distribute some of the cannabis candies with them. “Their definition of narcotics, I consider medicine,” says Shaw. “It’s just different cultures.”

Fundraising and Future Hopes

After Shaw’s arrest, authorities told reporters that Shaw could face a life sentence or even the death penalty upon conviction. “We are still running uncover to uncover global drug networks behind this case preventing further spread,” a representative said.

The athlete was presented at a press conference, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and face covering. He faced away from spectators as police chiefs displayed the cannabis gummies, which weigh 869 grams in total and valued at four hundred dollars.

He said that to charge him with holding nearly a kilogram of cannabis is unfair and “disturbing,” since the bulk comes from the candy material instead of the active ingredient. “I’m accused of a large quantity,” he notes. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

Shaw is fundraising to cover his rising legal fees. He has not yet appeared in court despite being arrested five months ago, and he awaits for a first appearance date. “They’re making it seem as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “What reason would I have to import the candy here for sale? They were for my own needs.”

Wider Implications and Advocacy

A representative from a group supporting the release of people imprisoned for cannabis-related offences commented: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Globally, individuals face extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses which are not dangerous to public safety.” In the United States as well, she added, many people are still imprisoned for cannabis offences despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in most regions. “Such penalties contradict global human rights norms,” she stated.

Possible benefits of cannabis for Crohn’s lacks extensive research but recent papers have indicated that cannabis can ease persistent pain without serious side effects. Amid this, leaders have discussed the benefits of cannabis treatments.

There are parallels between Shaw’s case and the situation of another American athlete, the decorated American basketball player detained in Russia for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis products in her bags. Griner was eventually released through an exchange with a foreign national.

“He is known as an exceptionally kind and selfless people one might encounter,” his friend remarked on Shaw’s fundraising page. “He erred. However, it’s unjust that mistake should cost him his life prospects.”

American officials in Jakarta says they know about the situation but declined additional details.

A support worker involved in the case commented: “Cannabis itself is not lethal, but ownership might be. We must get as much attention on this case in the hope that a favorable outcome can influence future cases. I’m dedicated to ensuring he returns to his family.”

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