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As the American basketball player, a US athlete playing in Indonesia, descended to his apartment lobby in recent months to pick up a delivery with smuggled cannabis gummies, he believed the medicine for relieving his Crohn’s disease had arrived.

Indeed it did – however, so did a team of ten plainclothes officers. Footage circulating online depicts the athlete, dressed in a dark top and shorts, crying out in distress as multiple law enforcement agents attempt to detain him.

Facing Harsh Penalties

The Texan native, aged 35, is confronting potential the death penalty or extended imprisonment. Previously, he served as an integral player of his Indonesian team, who won the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023, and he accumulated over a thousand points over three seasons in the nation. But now he is languishing in detention before trial and faces a lifetime ban from the IBL.

“Cannabis serves as my treatment,” he stated over the phone from his cell near Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. “I suffer from a chronic inflammation called Crohn’s that’s untreatable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that relieves my abdominal pain.”

When not playing, the athlete lives in Thailand, where cannabis is subject to more liberal laws. He mentions he had endured discomfort of abstaining from cannabis in previous campaigns in Indonesia but says that medical needs led him to bring in the seized batch of 132 gummies recently. “It was a foolish error,” he says.

Challenges in Law and Life

However, this error should not warrant execution or a long spell in prison, he argues. “I’ve been informed I could end up spending the rest of my life behind bars over some edibles,” he states. “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 “deeply troubled state of mind.”

“I experienced isolation and despair,” he shares. “Waking up felt unbearable.” Yet, with prayer and his faith, as well as access to a detention center gym, he is gradually recovering despite the 6ft 11in athlete shares a cramped cell with a dozen men. “I just turned 35 but my energy remains high,” notes the former Utah State basketballer, with experience in multiple countries. “I would love to continue playing professionally.”

Medical Use vs. Legal Perception

The player, who plays as a center or power forward, explains cannabis helps ease his mental health struggles, as well as sleeplessness and the pain from Crohn’s. “I don’t use it to have fun and go party,” he emphasizes. “Due to my digestive issues, it can be challenging for me to keep food down or use the restroom. It merely eases the pain a little bit.”

Indonesia takes a hard line regarding narcotics and conducted executions in 2016, via shooting, of several individuals found guilty of drug offenses. Over five hundred individuals – including almost 100 foreigners – face execution in the nation, primarily due to drug-related crimes.

Indonesian police stated that the athlete messaged his fellow players indicating he would share portions of the edibles with them. “What they consider drugs, I view as treatment,” he remarks. “It’s just different cultures.”

Fundraising and Future Hopes

Following his detention, authorities informed the media that Shaw might receive a life sentence or even the death penalty upon conviction. “Our ongoing investigation aims to the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case preventing further spread,” an official stated.

The athlete was presented at a press conference, appearing with his hands cuffed wearing an orange prison-issue T-shirt and a black face mask. He faced away from spectators as officials displayed 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 “disturbing,” given that most of the weight is made up by the gummies themselves instead of the cannabis content. “I’ve been charged for almost a kilo,” he says. “I didn’t have anything near that.”

Shaw is fundraising to cover mounting court costs. He has not yet appeared in court despite being arrested five months ago, and he awaits for a first appearance date. “It’s being portrayed as if I’m a major trafficker,” he says. “What reason would I have to import these items for sale? It was for personal use.”

Broader Context and Support

An advocacy director from an organization campaigning for the release of people jailed over cannabis commented: “This situation is not unique. Globally, individuals face harsh penalties for non-violent cannabis offenses that pose no threat to society.” Even in the US, she noted, tens of thousands are still imprisoned for similar offenses despite recreational legalization in numerous states and medical approval in most regions. “These punishments run counter to global human rights norms,” she emphasized.

The potential efficacy of cannabis on Crohn’s disease lacks extensive research but recent studies have indicated that cannabis may relieve persistent pain with minimal risks. Amid this, public figures have discussed the benefits of cannabis-based medicines.

There are parallels between Shaw’s case and that of Brittney Griner, the decorated American basketball player detained in another country for 10 months in 2022 after authorities found cannabis products in her luggage. She was later freed through an exchange with a foreign national.

“He is known as one of the most generous and selfless people one might encounter,” a close associate said in a supportive statement. “He erred. However, it’s unjust that this should ruin his entire future.”

The US embassy in the capital says it is aware of Shaw’s case but would not comment further.

An advocacy assistant handling Shaw’s case said: “Cannabis can’t kill you, but ownership might be. We must get significant focus on this case so that a favorable outcome can influence future cases. I’m dedicated to ensuring he returns to his family.”

• Local authorities offered no reply regarding inquiries on this matter.