As hashish turns into more and more normalized throughout america, former skilled basketball participant Jarred Shaw stays imprisoned abroad on cannabis-related prices. Organizers of subsequent month’s Michigan Vlasic Traditional hope to vary that.
Returning to St. John’s Resort in Plymouth on July 10, the annual occasion brings collectively hashish executives, manufacturers and advocates for a day of networking, fundraising and neighborhood affect. This 12 months’s match will profit The Forgotten Prisoner Basis, a world humanitarian justice group that advocates for people incarcerated on cannabis-related prices worldwide. Proceeds from the occasion will assist present direct help to Shaw and his household throughout his incarceration.
Hosted by Vlasic Labs, the annual match has turn into a fixture on Michigan’s hashish trade calendar, combining enterprise networking with advocacy efforts geared toward supporting these impacted by hashish criminalization.
Based by members of the household behind the enduring Vlasic pickle model, Vlasic Labs is a Michigan-based cannabinoid firm that has more and more aligned its enterprise efforts with hashish justice initiatives.
“You can’t hear Jarred’s story and not wish to help him,” says Vlasic Labs CEO Willy Vlasic. “We felt a duty to make use of the platform we’ve constructed via the Vlasic Traditional to help Jarred, his household, and the broader dialog round hashish justice. It’s my purpose that we’ll get Jarred house this 12 months.”
Jarred Shaw’s Case Highlights Ongoing World Hashish Dangers
Shaw, a former standout at Oklahoma State and Utah State who went on to play skilled basketball around the globe, was arrested in Indonesia in Might 2025 after authorities intercepted a package deal containing 132 hashish gummies that had been shipped from Thailand.
Prosecutors initially pursued extreme drug-trafficking prices that carried the potential of life imprisonment and even the demise penalty underneath Indonesia’s strict narcotics legal guidelines. Shaw has maintained that the gummies had been meant to assist handle signs related to Crohn’s illness. He was in the end convicted on a lesser possession cost and sentenced to 26 months in jail, however advocates say his well being has deteriorated whereas incarcerated.
Shaw’s case has turn into a stark reminder that whereas hashish legal guidelines proceed to evolve all through a lot of North America and elements of Europe, harsh penalties stay in place in lots of areas around the globe.
“Too many individuals assume hashish justice is a solved challenge as a result of legalization has expanded, however that’s merely not the case,” Vlasic says. “Hashish justice in 2026 means persevering with to help the individuals and households who’re nonetheless coping with the results of prohibition. If our trade is benefiting from legalization, we’ve got an obligation to assist those that by no means obtained the prospect to profit from it.”
Vlasic Traditional Expands Its Affect
Now in its third 12 months in Michigan, the Vlasic Traditional is a part of a broader match sequence that additionally consists of occasions in Missouri and Las Vegas.
In line with organizers, the sequence has raised greater than $165,000 to help justice reform initiatives, prisoner help applications and second-chance alternatives for people affected by cannabis-related convictions.
The Michigan occasion follows a latest Missouri match that raised $25,000 for hashish justice organizations, together with help for The Forgotten Prisoner Basis.
Trade Leaders Collect in Plymouth
Members within the July 10 golf match will compete on St. John’s 18-hole course alongside a few of the trade’s main executives and types. The occasion will characteristic sponsor activations, an awards gala, an afterparty, and “most significantly, a chance for everybody attending to instantly help Jarred Shaw and The Forgotten Prisoner Basis,” Vlasic shares. “It’s going to be a enjoyable occasion with a goal.”
JARS Hashish has signed on because the occasion’s presenting sponsor, and several other main hashish manufacturers and repair suppliers are anticipated to take part, together with Lume, Kushy Punch, Jeeter, Zig Zag, Dutchie and Kairos Testing.
Sponsorship alternatives stay obtainable for corporations inquisitive about supporting the fundraiser.
Because the authorized hashish trade continues to mature, organizers hope the Vlasic Traditional serves as a reminder that hashish justice extends past legalization. For Shaw, his household and others going through cannabis-related incarceration around the globe, advocates say significant change requires continued consciousness, help and motion.
