International
Jarred Shaw risks death penalty in Indonesia for ordering cannabis gummies for Crohn's disease: "They're portraying me as a big drug dealer"
Jarred Dwayne Shaw, the 35-year-old American basketball player who was arrested in May in Indonesia for ordering cannabis gummies, suffers from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the digestive system. The athlete ordered cannabis gummies from Thailand to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, but it all ended in an arrest involving more than ten Indonesian law enforcement officers. Shaw now faces the death penalty and spoke about his situation to the British newspaper. The Guardian.
This is yet another story that demonstrates the legal complexities of each country and how the same action can have very different outcomes in the most diverse coordinates of the planet. Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player born in Texas, United States of America, was playing in Indonesia for the Tangerang Hawks, and due to a chronic illness, he did something that could condemn him for life.
The basketball player ordered about 800 grams of cannabis gummies, worth $400, an act that under Indonesian law is considered a serious drug trafficking crime punishable by up to the death penalty. Shaw, who immediately claimed to be using the substance for medicinal purposes, has already admitted the mistake, which he called "stupid," but he is unlikely to escape a trial that could take his life.
The same act wouldn't have major consequences in his home country, as cannabis is legal in several states in the land of 'Uncle Sam.' However, in Indonesia, it could mean death. "They're portraying me as a major drug dealer," the American athlete said in an interview with The Guardian, pleading for his salvation. Shaw has been in prison since May 2025, after being "caught red-handed" receiving a package containing cannabis gummies. He was immediately arrested at the scene.
According to the British newspaper, after Shaw's arrest, Ronald Sipayung, chief of police at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, told reporters that the American could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty if found guilty. "We are still conducting the investigation to uncover the international drug network behind this case and prevent its distribution," Sipayung said.
When patients are treated like criminals
Indonesian police allege that the American sent messages to teammates offering them gummy bears, which could be another major setback for the defense, which cites the athlete's health as reasons to mitigate the illegality of his act.
Unlike your colleague Brittney Griner, Jarred Shaw, who experienced a similar situation in Russia, received little attention from the U.S. government after his arrest. In the first two months after his arrest, the athlete admitted he had been at "the lowest point" of his life, living "in a very dark mental space."
"I felt helpless and alone, I didn't want to wake up again," he told The Guardian. But through prayer and faith, as well as access to a prison gym, he began to feel like himself again, even sharing a cramped cell with 12 other men. "I just turned 35, but I still feel young," said the Utah State University basketball player, who played in Argentina, Japan, Turkey, Thailand, and Tunisia. "I would love to continue my basketball career," he confessed.
Shaw, who plays center or power forward, also said that cannabis helps alleviate his anxiety and depression, as well as insomnia. In an interview with The Guardian He added that he has "an incurable inflammatory disease" and that the only thing that can relieve his stomach pain is cannabis: "I don't use it to have fun or go to parties. With my stomach problems, sometimes it's hard for me to keep food down or go to the bathroom. It only relieves the pain a little."
International appeal to finance defense expenditure
Shortly after his arrest, the athlete addressed some points he considered unfair in the accusation at a press conference: "They accused me of having almost a kilo, but most of that weight came from the gum itself, not the cannabis. In reality, I didn't have anything close to that," he confessed.
“They’re portraying me as a big drug dealer,” Shaw lamented, retorting, “Why would I have gummies to sell here? They were just for my personal use.”
Shaw is now trying raise funds on a GoFundMe campaign to cover the mounting legal fees for this ongoing case. Despite being incarcerated for five months, Jarred Shaw has not yet been tried and is awaiting his first court appearance.
This isn't the first case involving American athletes and cannabis use that has resulted in arrest. We recall here Brittney Griner, basketball player who was detained for 10 months in Russia for carrying less than a gram of cannabis oil. Griner was only released on a prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.
Indonesia is one of the countries with the strictest drug laws. In 2016, the country executed three foreigners and one Indonesian by firing squad for drug-related crimes. Furthermore, Indonesia has over five hundred people, including about one hundred foreigners, on death row.
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[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may occur in other languages.]____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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I am one of the directors of CannaReporter, which I founded together with Laura Ramos. I am from the unique Island of Madeira, where I currently reside. While I was in Lisbon at FCUL studying Physical Engineering, I became involved in the national hemp and cannabis scene and participated in several associations, some of which I am still a member of. I follow the global industry and especially legislative advances regarding the different uses of cannabis.
I can be contacted by email at joao.costa@cannareporter.eu
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