American Basketball Player Faces Possible Death Penalty Over Medical Cannabis Import in Indonesia

Jarred Shaw, a 35-year-old American basketball player, is facing the possibility of the death penalty or a lengthy prison sentence in Indonesia after being arrested for importing cannabis gummies used to treat his Crohn's disease. Shaw, who played for Prawira Bandung and won the Indonesian Basketball League in 2023, was detained after receiving a package from Thailand containing 132 cannabis gummies, which are illegal under Indonesia's strict drug laws. Despite his medical condition and insistence that the cannabis was for personal medicinal use, Shaw is currently in pretrial detention and has been banned for life from the league. Indonesia is known for its harsh drug penalties, including death by firing squad, with over 500 people on death row, many for drug offenses. Shaw has publicly acknowledged his mistake but argues that such harsh penalties are disproportionate given his circumstances. The U.S. Embassy has not yet intervened, and Shaw has turned to social media to fundraise for his legal defense.