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When the American basketball player, a US athlete playing in Indonesia, descended to the lobby of his residence in recent months to pick up a package with smuggled cannabis gummies, he thought the medicine for easing his chronic inflammatory condition had arrived.

Indeed it did – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. A video on social media shows the athlete, wearing a dark top and shorts, crying out in distress as multiple law enforcement agents move to apprehend him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, could face potential the death penalty or a long spell behind bars. He was an integral player of Prawira Bandung, who won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he scored over a thousand points across three years in the country. But now he is languishing in pre-trial detention and is banned for life from the IBL.

“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he explained during a call from a prison just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I suffer from a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that relieves my stomach from aching.”

When not playing, the athlete lives in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are more liberal laws. He mentions he previously suffered the pain of abstaining from cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but says that health reasons led him to bring in the intercepted supply of over a hundred edibles recently. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake 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 behind bars for cannabis candies,” he states. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” 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.” Yet, with spiritual practices, as well as access to a prison gym, he is starting to feel himself again despite the tall sportsman occupies a small cell with a dozen men. “I just turned 35 but my energy remains high,” notes the former Utah State basketballer, with experience in multiple countries. “I would love to continue playing professionally.”

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 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 just soothes some of the symptoms.”

Indonesia takes a hard line regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, by firing squad, of several individuals convicted of drug-related crimes. Over five hundred individuals – with nearly a hundred foreigners – are on death row in the nation, mostly for drug-related crimes.

Law enforcement have said that Shaw sent text messages to his teammates indicating he planned to distribute some of the cannabis candies among them. “Their definition of narcotics, I view as treatment,” he remarks. “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 if found guilty. “Our ongoing investigation aims to uncover and halt global drug networks involved and to stop its distribution,” an official said.

The athlete was presented during a media event, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and a black face mask. He stood with his back to the audience as police chiefs exhibited the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and are worth $400.

He said that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unjust and “disturbing,” since the bulk comes from the candy material instead of the cannabis content. “I’ve been charged for almost a kilo,” he notes. “My actual possession was far less.”

The player is seeking donations for his rising legal fees. His trial has not begun despite being arrested five months ago, and he awaits his initial court date. “They’re making it seem like I’m this big drug dealer,” he says. “Why would I bring these items to sell? It was for personal use.”

Broader Context and Support

A representative from a group supporting individuals jailed over cannabis commented: “Jarred’s case is not an isolated incident. Around the world, people are serving extreme sentences for low-level cannabis crimes that pose no threat to society.” In the United States as well, she added, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for cannabis offences even with legalization in numerous states and medical approval in all but two. “Such penalties contradict global human rights norms,” she stated.

Possible benefits of cannabis on Crohn’s disease lacks extensive research but recent papers have indicated that cannabis can ease chronic lower back pain without serious side effects. This comes as, leaders have highlighted potential advantages of cannabis-based medicines.

There are parallels between Shaw’s case and the situation of Brittney Griner, the decorated American basketball player detained in Russia for nearly a year in 2022 after authorities found cannabis products in her bags. Griner was eventually released through an exchange involving a Russian weapons trafficker.

“Jarred has always been one of the most generous and selfless people one might encounter,” his friend said in a supportive statement. “He erred. But I don’t believe that mistake should cost him his entire future.”

The US embassy in Jakarta stated they know about Shaw’s case but would not comment further.

A support worker handling Shaw’s case commented: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but ownership might be. We must get as much attention on this case so that a favorable outcome can influence future cases. I am committed to ensuring he returns to his mother.”

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