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When Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to the lobby of his residence in recent months to collect a package with illegally imported cannabis gummies, he thought his medication for easing his Crohn’s disease had been delivered.

It had – but so too had 10 undercover police officers. Footage circulating online depicts the athlete, wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, crying out in distress as the swarm of officers attempt to detain him.

Confronting Severe Consequences

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, is confronting the possibility of execution or extended imprisonment. He was an integral player of Prawira Bandung, which clinched the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated more than 1,000 points over three seasons in the country. But now he remains in detention before trial and is banned for life from the league.

“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he stated over the phone from a prison just outside Jakarta, the capital. “I have an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s that’s untreatable. No other medication apart from cannabis that stops my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, Shaw lives in Thailand, where the laws on cannabis are more liberal laws. He says he had endured discomfort of going without cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but explains how health reasons spurred him to bring in the seized batch of 132 gummies recently. “I made a stupid mistake,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

But that mistake does not justify execution or a long spell in prison, he argues. “There’s people telling me I’m about to spend my entire future behind bars for cannabis candies,” he says. “I’ve never been through anything like this.” In the first two months 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.” Yet, with prayer and his faith, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is gradually recovering even while the 6ft 11in athlete occupies a small cell with a dozen men. “I recently celebrated my 35th birthday but I still feel young,” notes the ex-college player, who has played in Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand and Tunisia. “I hope to resume playing professionally.”

Treatment Needs Versus Drug Laws

The player, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis alleviates his anxiety and depression, in addition to sleeplessness and the discomfort of his condition. “I don’t use it to have fun or social events,” he clarifies. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging to retain meals or go to the toilet. It merely eases some of the symptoms.”

Indonesia takes a hard line regarding narcotics and carried out executions in 2016, by firing squad, of several individuals found guilty of drug offenses. Over five hundred individuals – with nearly a hundred foreigners – are on death row in the nation, primarily due to narcotics violations.

Law enforcement have said that Shaw sent text messages his fellow players saying that he would share some of the cannabis candies with them. “What they consider drugs, I consider medicine,” he remarks. “Cultural perspectives vary.”

Seeking Support and Resolution

After Shaw’s arrest, authorities informed the media that the American might receive a life sentence or possibly execution upon conviction. “Our ongoing investigation aims to uncover to uncover global drug networks behind this case and to stop its distribution,” an official stated.

Shaw was swiftly paraded during a media event, appearing with his hands cuffed dressed in detention attire and a black face mask. He stood with his back to the audience as officials displayed the seized candies, totaling 869 grams and are worth $400.

He argued that accusing him of 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. “My actual possession was far less.”

Shaw is fundraising to cover his rising legal fees. His trial has not begun although detained months prior, and he awaits his initial court date. “They’re making it seem as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “What reason would I have to import the candy here for sale? They were for my own needs.”

Wider Implications and Advocacy

An advocacy director from a group supporting the release of people jailed over cannabis said: “Jarred’s case is not unique. Globally, people are serving harsh penalties for low-level cannabis crimes that pose no threat to society.” In the United States as well, she added, many people remain incarcerated for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in most regions. “These punishments run counter to international human rights standards,” she emphasized.

The potential efficacy of cannabis for Crohn’s lacks extensive research but recent papers suggest that cannabis may relieve persistent pain without serious side effects. Amid this, leaders have discussed potential advantages of cannabis-based medicines.

Similarities exist between Shaw’s case and the situation of another American athlete, the decorated American basketball player detained in another country for 10 months in 2022 when officials discovered cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. She was later freed as part of a prisoner swap 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. “Jarred made a mistake. But I don’t believe that this should ruin his life prospects.”

The US embassy in the capital says they know about Shaw’s case but declined additional details.

A support worker involved in the case commented: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but possessing it can. We must get significant focus to this situation so that a favorable outcome will set a powerful precedent. I am committed to ensuring he returns to his mother.”

• The Indonesian National Police offered no reply to a request for comment for this story.