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As Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player in Indonesia, descended to the lobby of his residence in recent months to pick up a delivery containing illegally imported cannabis gummies, he thought his medication for relieving his Crohn’s disease had arrived.

It had – however, so did 10 undercover police officers. A video on social media depicts Shaw, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as the swarm of officers attempt to detain him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The Texan native, aged 35, is confronting the possibility of the death penalty or a long spell behind bars. Previously, he served as an integral player of Prawira Bandung, which clinched the national basketball league in 2023, and he accumulated over a thousand points across three years in the country. However, currently he is languishing in detention before trial and is banned for life from the league.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he stated over the phone from his cell just outside Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. “I suffer from a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s that’s untreatable. No other medication apart from cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, the athlete lives in a neighboring country, where cannabis is subject to more liberal laws. He mentions he previously suffered the pain of going without cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but says that health reasons spurred him to bring in the intercepted supply of over a hundred edibles this year. “It was a foolish error,” he admits.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake should not warrant execution or lengthy incarceration, he contends. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend the rest of my life in prison for cannabis candies,” he states. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” Initially, for weeks following his detention, he was at “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “really dark mental place.”

“I felt helpless and alone,” he shares. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” But through prayer and his faith, along with time in a prison 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,” notes the ex-college player, who has played in multiple countries. “I would love to continue my basketball career.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

The player, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis alleviates 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, it can be challenging for me to keep food down or go to the toilet. It just soothes the pain a little bit.”

The nation enforces strict policies on drugs 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 – including almost 100 foreigners – face execution in the nation, mostly for narcotics violations.

Indonesian police stated that Shaw sent text messages to his teammates indicating 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, police officials told reporters that the American might receive a life sentence or even the death penalty if found guilty. “We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network involved and to stop its distribution,” an official stated.

The athlete was presented during a media event, shown in handcuffs wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and a black face mask. He faced away from spectators as officials displayed the seized candies, which weigh 869 grams in total and are worth $400.

He argued that to charge him with holding nearly a kilogram of cannabis is unfair and “disturbing,” given that the bulk comes from the gummies themselves instead of the cannabis content. “I’m accused of almost a kilo,” he says. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

Shaw is fundraising to cover his rising legal fees. His trial has not begun although detained months prior, and he is still waiting for a first appearance date. “They’re making it seem like I’m this big drug dealer,” he says. “What reason would I have to import the candy here for sale? It was for personal use.”

Broader Context and Support

An advocacy director from a group campaigning for individuals imprisoned for cannabis-related offences said: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Around the world, individuals face harsh penalties 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 similar offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in all but two. “These punishments run counter to international human rights standards,” she stated.

Possible benefits of cannabis on Crohn’s disease lacks extensive research but recent studies have indicated that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain without serious side effects. Amid this, leaders have discussed potential advantages of cannabis-based medicines.

Similarities exist with this case and the situation of another American athlete, the decorated American basketball player who was imprisoned in Russia for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. Griner was eventually released through an exchange with a foreign national.

“Jarred has always been an exceptionally kind and caring individual you could meet,” a close associate remarked in a supportive statement. “He erred. However, it’s unjust that this should ruin his entire future.”

American officials in Jakarta says they know about Shaw’s case but would not comment further.

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

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