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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 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 depicts the athlete, wearing a dark top and shorts, crying out in distress as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, is confronting potential the death penalty or extended imprisonment. He was an integral player of Prawira Bandung, who won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated over a thousand points over three seasons in the nation. But now 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 a prison near Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. “I have a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, Shaw lives in Thailand, where cannabis is subject to more liberal laws. He says he previously suffered the pain of abstaining from cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but says that medical needs led him to bring in the seized batch of 132 gummies this year. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Legal and Personal Struggles

However, this error does not justify the death penalty or a long spell in prison, he argues. “I’ve been informed 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.” In the first two months following his detention, he reached “my most difficult period” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” 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 multiple inmates. “I just turned 35 but my energy remains high,” says the former Utah State basketballer, who has played in Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia. “I would love to continue playing professionally.”

Medical Use vs. Legal Perception

Shaw, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis helps ease his mental health struggles, in addition to sleeplessness and the discomfort of his condition. “It’s not for recreation and go party,” he emphasizes. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging to retain meals or go to the toilet. It merely eases some of the symptoms.”

The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, via shooting, of an Indonesian and three foreigners convicted of drug-related crimes. More than 500 people – with nearly a hundred foreigners – face execution in the country, mostly for narcotics violations.

Law enforcement have said that the athlete messaged to his teammates saying that he would share portions of the edibles among them. “Their definition of narcotics, I view as treatment,” says Shaw. “It’s just different cultures.”

Fundraising and Future Hopes

After Shaw’s arrest, authorities told reporters that Shaw might receive a life sentence or even the death penalty if found guilty. “Our ongoing investigation aims to uncover and halt the international drugs network behind this case preventing further spread,” an official said.

The athlete was presented during a media event, appearing with his hands cuffed dressed in detention attire and a black face mask. He faced away from spectators as officials exhibited the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and valued at four hundred dollars.

He argued that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unjust and “sick,” given that the bulk comes from the gummies themselves rather than the active ingredient. “I’ve been charged for almost a kilo,” he says. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

Shaw is fundraising 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 as if I’m a major trafficker,” he asserts. “What reason would I have to import these items to sell? It was for personal use.”

Wider Implications and Advocacy

A representative from a group supporting the release of people imprisoned for cannabis-related offences said: “This situation is not unique. Around the world, people are serving harsh penalties for non-violent cannabis offenses that pose no threat to society.” Even in the US, she added, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for cannabis offences despite recreational legalization in numerous states and medical approval in all but two. “These punishments run counter to international human rights standards,” she stated.

The potential efficacy of cannabis on Crohn’s disease is understudied but recent papers suggest that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain without serious side effects. This comes as, leaders have discussed the benefits of cannabis-based medicines.

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

“He is known as one of the most generous and caring individual you could meet,” a close associate remarked on Shaw’s fundraising page. “He erred. But I don’t believe that this should ruin his entire future.”

The US embassy in Jakarta stated they know about Shaw’s case but declined additional details.

A support worker involved in the case said: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but ownership might be. We must get as much attention to this situation so that a positive resolution can influence future cases. I am committed to making sure he returns to his mother.”

• The Indonesian National Police did not respond regarding inquiries for this story.