• Former championship player Jarred Shaw arrested by 10 undercover officers after importing cannabis gummies to treat Crohn’s disease in Indonesia.
• Shaw faces life imprisonment or death penalty under Indonesia’s strict drug laws despite using cannabis as medicine for inflammatory condition.
• The 35-year-old basketball player languishes in pre-trial detention five months after arrest, banned for life from Indonesian Basketball League.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (TDR) — Jarred Shaw, an American basketball player who helped win the Indonesian Basketball League championship in 2023, is facing potential execution after police arrested him for importing cannabis gummies he says he needed to manage his chronic illness.

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, was arrested May 7 when he stepped into the lobby of his apartment complex outside Jakarta to collect a package containing 132 cannabis gummies. Waiting for him were 10 undercover police officers. A video circulating on social media shows Shaw wearing a black T-shirt and shorts, shouting for help as officers swarmed to apprehend him.

Medical Necessity Meets Harsh Reality

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Shaw told The Guardian in his first press interview since his arrest that he uses cannabis as medicine for Crohn’s disease, an incurable inflammatory bowel condition. The former Utah State player says no other medication effectively manages his chronic stomach pain, anxiety, depression and insomnia.

“I use cannabis as a medicine,” Shaw said from his prison cell. “I have an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s incurable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my stomach from aching.”

During the off-season, Shaw lives in Thailand, where cannabis laws are more liberal following decriminalization in November 2024. He said he had endured the pain of going without cannabis during previous seasons in Indonesia but decided to import the gummies this year for health reasons. The package contained 869 grams total weight of cannabis-infused edibles valued at approximately $400.

“I made a stupid mistake,” Shaw acknowledged. “But there’s people telling me I’m about to spend the rest of my life in prison over some edibles.”

Basketball Success Cut Short

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Shaw was a key member of Prawira Bandung, which won the IBL championship in 2023. Over three seasons in Indonesia, the 6-foot-11 center scored more than 1,000 points while playing for multiple teams. He signed with the Tangerang Hawks in 2024 before his arrest.

The league has since banned Shaw for life. Chair Budisatrio Djiwandono issued a stark statement following the arrest.

“We don’t tolerate players, administrators or anyone in the field involved in drugs,” Djiwandono said. “There is no room for drug users in the basketball world.”

The Tangerang Hawks immediately terminated Shaw’s contract for breach of terms. Manager Tikky Suwantikno told reporters the club regrets Shaw’s actions.

Facing Indonesia’s Death Penalty

Indonesia maintains some of the world’s strictest anti-drug laws. More than 500 people currently sit on death row in the country, including nearly 100 foreigners, mostly for drug-related offenses. The nation last carried out executions by firing squad in 2016, killing an Indonesian and three foreign nationals convicted of drug crimes.

Airport police chief Ronald Sipayung said Shaw’s arrest followed a tip from customs officials who flagged the suspicious package from Thailand. During interrogation, Shaw allegedly told police he planned to share the cannabis candies with fellow basketball players.

“We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case and to stop its distribution,” Sipayung said at a press conference where Shaw was paraded in an orange prison T-shirt with his hands cuffed.

Shaw disputes the characterization of his case as drug trafficking. He argues that Indonesian authorities are inflating the charges by counting the total weight of the gummies rather than just the cannabis content.

“They’re making it seem like I’m this big drug dealer,” Shaw said. “Why would I bring the candy here to sell? It was for personal use. I’ve been charged for almost a kilo. I didn’t have anything near that.”

Mental Health Struggle Behind Bars

The first two months following his arrest represented the lowest point of Shaw’s life. He described being in a “really dark mental place” while sharing a cramped cell with a dozen other men.

“I felt helpless and alone,” Shaw said. “I didn’t want to wake up again.”

Through prayer, faith, and access to a prison gym, the athlete says he is beginning to recover his mental state. Despite turning 35, he still hopes to continue his basketball career if released.

Shaw has not yet appeared in court despite being arrested five months ago. He is fundraising to cover rising legal fees while awaiting a first court appearance date.

International Advocacy

Last Prisoner Project, which campaigns for the release of people imprisoned for cannabis offenses, is advocating for Shaw’s case. Director of advocacy Stephanie Shepard said Shaw’s situation reflects a global pattern of extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis possession.

“Jarred’s case is not an isolated incident,” Shepard said. “Around the world, people are serving extreme sentences for non-violent cannabis offenses that pose no threat to public safety.”

Even in the United States, tens of thousands remain incarcerated for cannabis offenses despite recreational legalization in almost half of states and medical approval in all but two.

The case draws parallels to Brittney Griner, the WNBA star imprisoned in Russia for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. Griner was eventually released through a prisoner swap negotiated by the Biden administration involving a Russian weapons trafficker.

The US embassy in Jakarta confirmed awareness of Shaw’s case but declined to comment further. Advocacy assistant Donte West, who is handling Shaw’s case for Last Prisoner Project, emphasized the urgency of international attention.

“Cannabis can’t kill you, but possessing it can,” West said. “We must get as much attention on this case in the hope that a positive resolution will set a powerful precedent. I’m dedicated to making sure Jarred gets home to his mother.”

Should American citizens facing cannabis charges abroad receive the same diplomatic intervention as Brittney Griner, or do Indonesia’s sovereignty and strict drug laws take precedence? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Follow The Dupree Report for more coverage of international justice, cannabis policy, and American citizens detained abroad.

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