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As the American basketball player, an American basketball player in Indonesia, descended to his apartment lobby in recent months to collect a delivery containing illegally imported cannabis gummies, he thought the medicine for relieving his chronic inflammatory condition had been delivered.

It had – but so too had a team of ten plainclothes officers. A video on social media shows the athlete, dressed in a dark top and shorts, shouting for help as multiple law enforcement agents attempt to detain him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, could face 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 scored more than 1,000 points over three seasons in the nation. But now he remains in detention before trial and is banned for life from the IBL.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he explained over the phone from a prison just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I have an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s incurable. No other medication apart from cannabis that relieves my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, Shaw lives in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are more liberal laws. He mentions he previously suffered discomfort of going without cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but explains how health reasons led him to bring in the seized batch of over a hundred edibles this year. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake does not justify the death penalty or lengthy incarceration, he argues. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend the rest of my life behind bars over some edibles,” he says. “This is unlike any previous experience.” In the first two months after his arrest, he reached “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I felt helpless and alone,” he shares. “Waking up felt unbearable.” Yet, with spiritual practices, along with time in a detention center gym, he is gradually recovering despite 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, with experience 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 alleviates his mental health struggles, as well as sleeplessness and the discomfort of his condition. “I don’t use it to have fun or social events,” he emphasizes. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging for me to keep food down or use the restroom. It merely eases the pain a little bit.”

The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, via shooting, of an Indonesian and three foreigners found guilty of drug offenses. More than 500 people – including almost 100 foreigners – face execution in the nation, mostly for narcotics violations.

Law enforcement stated that the athlete messaged his fellow players saying that he would share some of the cannabis candies among them. “Their definition of narcotics, I view as treatment,” he remarks. “It’s just different cultures.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

After Shaw’s arrest, police officials told reporters that the American might receive a life sentence or possibly execution if found guilty. “We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case and to stop its distribution,” a representative said.

The athlete was presented during a media event, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and a black face mask. He faced away from spectators as officials displayed the seized candies, 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 most of the weight comes from the candy material rather than the active ingredient. “I’m accused of a large quantity,” he says. “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 awaits his initial court date. “It’s being portrayed as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “What reason would I have to import the candy here to sell? They were for my own needs.”

Broader Context and Support

A representative from a group supporting individuals jailed over cannabis commented: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Around the world, individuals face extreme sentences for low-level cannabis crimes which are not dangerous to public safety.” Even in the US, she added, many people are still imprisoned for cannabis offences despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and a medical greenlight in most regions. “Such penalties run counter to global human rights norms,” she stated.

The potential efficacy of cannabis for Crohn’s is understudied but recent studies suggest that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain with minimal risks. Amid this, leaders have discussed potential advantages of cannabis treatments.

Similarities exist with this case and the situation of Brittney Griner, the acclaimed player who was imprisoned in another country for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. Griner was eventually released as part of a prisoner swap with a foreign national.

“Jarred has always been one of the most generous and selfless people one might encounter,” his friend remarked on Shaw’s fundraising page. “Jarred made a mistake. But I don’t believe that this should ruin his entire future.”

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

An advocacy assistant involved in the case commented: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but possessing it can. We must get significant focus to this situation so that a favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I’m dedicated to making sure he returns to his family.”

• Local authorities offered no reply regarding inquiries on this matter.