As the American basketball player, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to the lobby of his residence earlier this year to pick up a delivery with smuggled cannabis gummies, he believed his medication for relieving his chronic inflammatory condition had been delivered.
Indeed it did – but so too had a team of ten plainclothes officers. Footage circulating online shows Shaw, dressed in a dark top and shorts, shouting for help as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.
Confronting Severe Consequences
The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, is confronting the possibility of execution or a long spell behind bars. He was a key member of his Indonesian team, who won the national basketball league in 2023, and he accumulated more than 1,000 points over three seasons in the country. But now he remains in pre-trial detention and faces a lifetime ban from the league.
“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he explained during a call from his cell near Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. “I suffer from an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s untreatable. No other medication apart from cannabis that stops my stomach from aching.”
When not playing, the athlete resides in Thailand, where cannabis is subject to less restrictive. He mentions he previously suffered discomfort of abstaining from cannabis in earlier seasons in Indonesia but explains how health reasons led him to bring in the seized batch of 132 gummies recently. “I made a stupid mistake,” he admits.
Challenges in Law and Life
However, this error should not warrant the death penalty or a long spell in prison, he argues. “I’ve been informed I’m about to spend my entire future behind bars over some edibles,” he states. “This is unlike anything like this.” Initially, for weeks after his arrest, he was at “the lowest point in [my] life” and in a “deeply troubled state of mind.”
“I felt helpless and alone,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” Yet, with prayer and his faith, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is starting to feel himself again despite the 6ft 11in athlete shares a cramped cell with a dozen men. “I recently celebrated my 35th birthday but I still feel young,” notes 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
The player, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis alleviates his mental health struggles, in addition to insomnia and the discomfort of his condition. “It’s not for recreation or social events,” he clarifies. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging for me to keep food down or go to the toilet. It merely eases the pain a little bit.”
The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and conducted executions in 2016, by firing squad, of several individuals convicted of drug offenses. More than 500 people – including almost 100 foreigners – are on death row in the country, mostly for narcotics violations.
Law enforcement have said that the athlete messaged his fellow players saying that he would share portions of the edibles with them. “Their definition of narcotics, I view as treatment,” he remarks. “It’s just different cultures.”
Fundraising and Future Hopes
After Shaw’s arrest, police officials informed the media that the American might receive a life sentence or possibly execution upon conviction. “We are still running the investigation and halt the international drugs network involved and to stop its distribution,” an official stated.
The athlete was presented during a media event, shown in handcuffs dressed in detention attire and face covering. He stood with his back to the audience as officials exhibited the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and are worth $400.
He argued that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unfair and “sick,” since the bulk comes from the candy material rather than the cannabis content. “I’ve been charged for almost a kilo,” he says. “My actual possession was far less.”
Shaw is fundraising for mounting court costs. His trial has not begun despite being arrested five months ago, and he is still waiting his initial court date. “They’re making it seem like I’m this big drug dealer,” he asserts. “What reason would I have to import these items for sale? They were for my own needs.”
Broader Context and Support
An advocacy director from a group supporting individuals jailed over cannabis commented: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Around the world, people are serving extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses which are not dangerous to society.” Even in the US, she added, many people are still imprisoned for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in numerous states and medical approval in most regions. “Such penalties run counter to global human rights norms,” she emphasized.
Possible benefits of cannabis on Crohn’s disease is understudied but recent studies suggest that cannabis may relieve chronic lower back pain with minimal risks. This comes as, public figures have highlighted the benefits of cannabis treatments.
There are parallels between Shaw’s case and that of Brittney Griner, the decorated American basketball player who was imprisoned in another country for 10 months in 2022 when officials discovered cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. She was later freed through an exchange with a foreign national.
“Jarred has always been an exceptionally kind and caring individual you could meet,” a close associate said in a supportive statement. “Jarred made a mistake. However, it’s unjust that this should ruin his entire future.”
American officials in Jakarta stated they know about the situation but would not comment further.
An advocacy assistant involved in the case said: “Cannabis itself is not lethal, but possessing it can. We must get as much attention to this situation in the hope that a positive resolution can influence future cases. I’m dedicated to making sure Jarred gets home to his mother.”
- Local authorities offered no reply to a request for comment for this story.
