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As the American basketball player, a US athlete playing in Indonesia, descended to the lobby of his residence earlier this year to pick up a package with smuggled cannabis gummies, he believed the medicine for relieving his chronic inflammatory condition had been delivered.

It had – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. Footage circulating online depicts Shaw, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, crying out in distress as the swarm of officers attempt to detain him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The Texan native, aged 35, could face the possibility of execution or a long spell behind bars. Previously, he served as an integral player of Prawira Bandung, which clinched the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated over a thousand points across three years in the country. But now he remains in pre-trial detention and faces a lifetime ban from the IBL.

“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he explained over the phone from his cell just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I suffer from an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s that’s incurable. No other medication besides cannabis that relieves my stomach from aching.”

During the off-season, Shaw lives in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are more liberal laws. He says he had endured discomfort of going without cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but explains how medical needs spurred him to bring in the intercepted supply of 132 gummies this year. “It was a foolish error,” he admits.

Legal and Personal Struggles

However, this error should not warrant execution or a long spell in prison, he argues. “I’ve been informed I’m about to spend my entire future in prison for cannabis candies,” he says. “I’ve never been through any previous experience.” Initially, for weeks following his detention, he reached “my most difficult period” and in a “really dark mental place.”

“I felt helpless and alone,” he recalls. “Waking up felt unbearable.” But through prayer and his faith, along with time in a detention center gym, he is gradually recovering even while the tall sportsman occupies a small cell with a dozen men. “I just turned 35 but I still feel young,” says the former Utah State basketballer, with experience in Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia. “I hope to resume playing professionally.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

The player, a center or power forward, says cannabis alleviates his anxiety and depression, in addition to insomnia and the pain from Crohn’s. “It’s not for recreation and go party,” he emphasizes. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging for me to keep food down or use the restroom. It just soothes the pain a little bit.”

The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, by firing squad, of an Indonesian and three foreigners found guilty of drug-related crimes. Over five hundred individuals – with nearly a hundred foreigners – are on death row in the country, primarily due to drug-related crimes.

Indonesian police 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.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

After Shaw’s arrest, police officials told reporters that the American might receive a life sentence or possibly execution upon conviction. “Our ongoing investigation aims to uncover and halt global drug networks involved preventing further spread,” an official said.

Shaw was swiftly paraded at a press conference, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and a black face mask. He faced away from spectators as police chiefs displayed the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and valued at four hundred dollars.

He said that accusing him of possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unfair and “sick,” given that most of the weight comes from the candy material rather than the cannabis content. “I’ve been charged for 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 despite being arrested five months ago, and he is still waiting for a first appearance date. “They’re making it seem like I’m this big drug dealer,” he says. “Why would I bring these items to sell? They were for my own needs.”

Broader Context and Support

An advocacy director from a group campaigning for individuals imprisoned for cannabis-related offences commented: “This situation is not unique. Globally, individuals face extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses that pose no threat to public safety.” In the United States as well, she added, many people are still imprisoned for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in numerous states and a medical greenlight in all but two. “Such penalties contradict global human rights norms,” she stated.

The potential efficacy of cannabis for Crohn’s is understudied but recent papers have indicated that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain without serious side effects. Amid this, public figures have highlighted potential advantages of cannabis treatments.

There are parallels between Shaw’s case and the situation of another American athlete, the acclaimed player detained in another country for nearly a year in 2022 when officials discovered cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. She was later freed through an exchange with a foreign national.

“He is known as one of the most generous and caring individual you could meet,” a close associate remarked in a supportive statement. “Jarred made a mistake. But I don’t believe that mistake should cost him his life prospects.”

American officials in Jakarta says it is aware of the situation but would not comment further.

A support worker handling Shaw’s case commented: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but possessing it can. It’s crucial to draw significant focus to this situation in the hope that a favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I’m dedicated to making sure he returns to his mother.”

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