Cannabis legalization continues to expand across the U.S. and abroad, but many places still outlaw the plant. In some cases, those caught with weed may be subject to fines or prison stays. In certain countries, you can even be sentenced to death. One American is facing the firing squad after being caught with THC gummies.
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Jarred Shaw, originally from Dallas, Texas, has been living in Indonesia for several years. He moved to the Southeast Asian country to play in the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). Last May, he was arrested after accepting a package containing roughly 132 cannabis gummies. The package was sent from Thailand, where Shaw spends his off-season.
Shaw says he suffers from Crohn’s disease. He told The Guardian that he uses cannabis to manage his symptoms.
“There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my stomach from aching,” he said from a prison near Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.
Indonesia has some of the strictest drug policies in the world. Importing and/or trafficking marijuana can result in an offender being sentenced to death.
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Meanwhile, Thailand has far more lenient cannabis policies. Shaw acknowledged that importing the gummies was “a stupid mistake,” but that the potential sentence does not fit the crime.
“There’s people telling me I’m about to spend the rest of my life in prison over some edibles,” he said.
Indonesian authorities claim Shaw was part of a larger drug trafficking conspiracy. The Guardian reported that police said Shaw sent his teammates text messages telling them he’d share the gummies. Because Indonesian law considers the total weight of the product, Shaw is charged with possessing nearly one kilogram of cannabis.
“They’re making it seem like I’m this big drug dealer,” he said. “Why would I bring the candy here to sell? It was for personal use.”
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Shaw’s friends started a GoFundMe to help raise money for legal representation. As of this writing, Shaw remains in custody awaiting his first court appearance.
Representatives from Last Prisoner Project (LPP), a non-profit that advocates for the release of people incarcerated for cannabis, told The Guardian they are working to raise awareness of Shaw’s case to help secure his freedom.
“Cannabis can’t kill you, but possessing it can,” said Donte West, an advocacy assistant at LPP. “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.”
