American Basketball Player Faces Severe Penalties in Indonesia for Hemp Jellies
American basketball player Jarred Shaw is currently detained in Jakarta,Indonesia,facing a potential life imprisonment or death penalty for possession of hemp-containing jellies.Shaw, a former player for the Right Bandung team and 2023 Indonesian championship winner, was arrested after receiving a package containing the jellies in his apartment.
Shaw claims he believed the jellies contained medicine to treat his chronic Crohn’s disease, a condition he manages with hemp. He stated he had previously avoided treatment due to concerns about Indonesian law, but this year ordered 132 jellies from Thailand, where the substance is legal.
Indonesian authorities allege Shaw intended to distribute the jellies to his teammates and accuse him of possessing nearly a kilogram of drugs. shaw disputes this, arguing the weight includes the candy itself and that the amount of hemp is considerably less.
“I made a stupid mistake,” Shaw told the Guardian from prison. “But this mistake should not cost me life or the whole future.”
His case has drawn comparisons to that of Brittney Griner, the American basketball player arrested in Russia on THC charges. Prisoner rights organizations, including the Last Prisoner Project, are calling for intervention in Shaw’s case.
Five months have passed since his arrest, and Shaw is still awaiting his first court hearing. He is currently fundraising to cover his legal expenses, with advocates prioritizing his safe return home.