‘I Use Cannabis as Medicine’: American Basketball Player Confronting Death Penalty For $Four Hundred of Cannabis Candies.

When Jarred Shaw, a US athlete playing in Indonesia, descended to the lobby of his residence in recent months to collect a delivery containing illegally imported cannabis gummies, he believed the medicine for easing his Crohn’s disease had been delivered.

Indeed it did – but so too had 10 undercover police officers. Footage circulating online shows Shaw, dressed in a dark top and shorts, crying out in distress as the swarm of officers move to apprehend him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The Texan native, aged 35, could face the possibility of execution or a long spell behind bars. He was a key member of his Indonesian team, who won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he scored over a thousand points over three seasons in the nation. However, currently he remains in pre-trial detention and faces a lifetime ban from the IBL.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” he explained over the phone from a prison just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I suffer from a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s disease that’s incurable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, the athlete resides in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are less restrictive. He mentions he had endured the pain of going without cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but explains how health reasons led him to bring in the intercepted supply of 132 gummies recently. “I made a stupid mistake,” he admits.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake does not justify the death penalty or a long spell in prison, he contends. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend my entire future behind bars over some edibles,” he states. “I’ve never been through any previous experience.” In the first two months after his arrest, he was at “my most difficult period” and in a “really dark mental place.”

“I felt helpless and alone,” he shares. “I didn’t want to wake up again.” Yet, with spiritual practices, as well as access to a prison gym, he is starting to feel himself again despite the tall sportsman shares a cramped cell with multiple inmates. “I just turned 35 but my energy remains high,” says the ex-college player, who has played in multiple countries. “I hope to resume my basketball career.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

The player, a center or power forward, says cannabis helps ease his mental health struggles, as well as insomnia and the pain from Crohn’s. “It’s not for recreation or social events,” he clarifies. “Due to my digestive issues, sometimes it’s hard to retain meals or use the restroom. It just soothes some of the symptoms.”

The nation enforces strict policies regarding narcotics and conducted executions in 2016, via shooting, of several individuals convicted of drug-related crimes. More than 500 people – with nearly a hundred foreigners – are on death row in the nation, mostly for narcotics violations.

Indonesian police have said that the athlete messaged to his teammates indicating he would share some of the cannabis candies among them. “Their definition of narcotics, I consider medicine,” he remarks. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

After Shaw’s arrest, authorities informed the media that the American could face life in prison or possibly execution if found guilty. “Our ongoing investigation aims to uncover to uncover global drug networks involved and to stop its distribution,” a representative said.

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 valued at four hundred dollars.

He argued that to charge him with possession of almost a kilo of cannabis is unjust and “disturbing,” given that most of the weight is made up by the gummies themselves rather than the active ingredient. “I’m accused of almost a kilo,” he notes. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

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. “It’s being portrayed 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

A representative from an organization supporting the release of people jailed over cannabis said: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Around the world, people are serving extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses that pose no threat to society.” Even in the US, she noted, tens of thousands remain incarcerated 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.

Possible benefits of cannabis on Crohn’s disease is understudied but recent papers suggest that cannabis may relieve persistent pain without serious side effects. Amid this, public figures have discussed potential advantages of cannabis-based medicines.

Similarities exist between Shaw’s case and that of Brittney Griner, the decorated American basketball player detained in Russia for nearly a year in 2022 after authorities found cannabis vape cartridges in her bags. She was later freed through an exchange with a foreign national.

“He is known as an exceptionally kind and selfless people one might encounter,” a close associate remarked in a supportive statement. “He erred. But I don’t believe that mistake should cost him his life prospects.”

American officials in Jakarta stated they know about the situation but declined additional details.

An advocacy assistant handling Shaw’s case commented: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but possessing it can. It’s crucial to draw significant focus on this case so that a favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I’m dedicated to making sure Jarred gets home to his mother.”

• Local authorities offered no reply regarding inquiries for this story.