{"id":188339,"date":"2025-10-03T22:02:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T22:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/188339\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T22:02:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T22:02:08","slug":"american-basketball-player-facing-possible-death-penalty-in-indonesia-over-cannabis-g","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/188339\/","title":{"rendered":"American basketball player facing possible death penalty in Indonesia over cannabis g"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Jared Shaw, an American basketball player in Indonesia, went down to the lobby of his apartment complex to pick up a package containing cannabis gummies he had ordered illegally, he thought his treatment for Crohn\u2019s disease had finally arrived. It had – but so had 10 undercover police officers.<\/p>\n

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1 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"\u05e9\u05d5\u05d0\u05d5\"<\/a>\"\u05e9\u05d5\u05d0\u05d5\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat they consider drugs, I consider medicine,\u201d Shaw said.<\/p>\n

(Photo: Tangerang Hawks)<\/p>\n

A video circulating on social media shows Shaw shouting for help as police closed in to arrest him.<\/p>\n

The 35-year-old from Dallas, Texas, is now facing either the death penalty or a lengthy prison sentence. A key player for Prawira Bandung, which won the Indonesian Basketball League championship in 2023, Shaw scored more than 1,000 points over three seasons in the country. Since his arrest in May, he has been jailed outside Jakarta and handed a lifetime suspension from the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cI use cannabis as medicine,\u201d Shaw told the Guardian in a phone call from prison. \u201cI have an inflammatory disease called Crohn\u2019s, which is incurable. The only thing that stops my stomach pain is cannabis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people tell me I\u2019m going to spend the rest of my life in prison over a few gummies,\u201d he added. In the first two months after his arrest, he said, he was \u201cat the lowest point in my life\u201d and \u201cin a very dark mental space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-10 center and power forward said cannabis also helps ease his anxiety, depression, insomnia, and Crohn\u2019s pain. \u201cI don\u2019t use it for fun or parties,\u201d he said. \u201cWith my stomach problems, sometimes I can\u2019t keep food down or even use the bathroom. This just takes the edge off the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indonesia has some of the harshest drug laws in the world. In 2016, it executed three foreigners and one Indonesian by firing squad for drug crimes. More than 500 people\u2014nearly 100 of them foreign nationals\u2014are currently on death row there, most for drug-related offenses.<\/p>\n

Police claim Shaw messaged teammates that he planned to share some of the gummies with them. Shaw insists his intent was personal use. \u201cWhat they consider drugs, I consider medicine,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just different cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Le basketteur am\u00e9ricain Jarred Shaw arr\u00eat\u00e9 en Indon\u00e9sie apr\u00e8s avoir re\u00e7u des bonbons au cannabis en provenance de Tha\u00eflande pic.twitter.com\/BDokJeQpTh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Raamaa (@lagobrune) May 25, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

After his arrest, Shaw was quickly paraded at a press conference. Wearing an orange prison uniform, black mask, and handcuffs, he stood with his back to the audience as police commanders displayed the gummies\u2014869 grams in total, with an estimated street value of $400. He argues the charges are unjust. \u201cThey accused me of having nearly a kilo,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the majority of that weight comes from the candy itself, not the cannabis. In reality, I didn\u2019t have anything close to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaw is now raising money to cover mounting legal fees. Despite being jailed for five months, he has yet to face trial and is still waiting for his first court date.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re portraying me as some big drug dealer,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy would I bring gummies here to sell? They were only for my personal use.\u201d<\/p>\n

First published: 00:26, 10.04.25 <\/p>\n