Former college basketball star Jarred Shaw claims he has lost more than 40lbs and fears for his health as he languishes in an Indonesian prison after being caught with cannabis gummies.
The Dallas native – who played for Oklahoma State and Utah State – was last year sentenced to 26 months behind bars after being arrested for illegally importing a batch of edibles from Thailand.
Few countries have stricter drug laws than Indonesia and Shaw was warned that he could face a possible death penalty – or life in an overcrowded prison where disease and rats are rife.
The 35-year-old felt immediate ‘relief’ when he learned his fate but over recent weeks, that has given way to fear that his Crohn’s disease could turn to cancer. ‘I’m scared to think of the worst,’ he said during a phone interview from prison.
Shaw was playing basketball for Indonesian team Tangerang Hawks when he was arrested.
He argued that he bought the edibles – which had a street value of $400 – to help treat his Crohn’s, a bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the digestive system and is believed to affect up to one million Americans.
Ex-college basketball star Jarred Shaw was sentenced to 26 months in an Indonesian prison
The 35-year-old Dallas native was paraded in front of the media after being arrested in May
Before his sentence, in a bid to prove his case, Shaw was granted a hospital visit for an examination.
Since then, however, the 35-year-old claims his health has deteriorated as he struggles to maintain a healthy diet and secure enough medication.
‘I’m losing weight fast and it’s concerning,’ Shaw said. ‘Since I’ve been incarcerated [he was arrested in May 2025], I have lost over 40 pounds… my fear is not being healthy and this affecting me long term, because Crohn’s could turn into something else.
‘I don’t even like to speak about that type of stuff, but, God forbid, it turns to some type of cancer,’ Shaw continued. ‘That’s my biggest fear, because I have ulcers around my colon… if they go untreated or unmanaged, they could definitely turn into something more serious over time.’
According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, people with Crohn’s are at an increased risk of colorectal cancer which affects either the colon, large intestine or the rectum. Crohn’s cannot be cured but medication can help control inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer.
Shaw said he has an assistant who collects his medicine every few weeks. It costs around $800 to $850 a month.
Another important way to fight Crohn’s is a healthy diet. Behind bars Shaw lives off two meals a day. Shaw tries to avoid greasy prison food and orders in meals such as grilled chicken and rice but he cannot afford to do that every day until the end of his sentence.
Shaw was detained over a package that contained 132 cannabis gummies with a value of $400
‘I’m dehydrated because the water isn’t clean,’ he added. ‘My main thing is I want to get back to the doctor.’
Medics, Shaw said, recommended further examination and a colonoscopy. The 35-year-old claimed also both he and the US Embassy have asked the prison for permission.
‘But that requires for me to be out away from the prison for three days,’ Shaw said. For now, those requests have fallen on deaf ears. While in prison, the basketball player has been working on a book. Shaw also speaks to his elderly mother a few times a week but, realisically, he won’t see her until his release.
‘She’s still concerned with my Crohn’s and my situation,’ he said. ‘It’s getting worse… my health is still at risk daily.’
