Willie Nelson has announced plans to launch his own brand of weed and open a chain of marijuana stores. “Willie’s Reserve” will soon be available in states where pot is legal. His stores will carry his own weed and that of other growers, as well as branded bongs and other paraphernalia.
Spokesperson Michael Bowman spoke about the 81-year-old’s plans to The Daily Beast:
“Willie has spent a lifetime in support of cannabis, both the industrial hemp side and the marijuana side. He wants it to be something that’s reflective of his passion. Ultimately, it’s his. But it was developed by his family, and their focus on environmental and social issues, and in particular this crazy war on drugs, and trying to be a bright light amongst this trail as we’re trying to extract ourselves from the goo of prohibition.
Really he wants it, at the end of the day, to envelop what his personal morals and convictions are. So from the store itself to how they’ll work with suppliers and how things are operated, it’s going to be very reflective of Willie’s life.”
As far as specific plans for the stores, the first one is expected to open within the next year. They plan to roll out in all states that are legal and continue as legalization progresses, “or until the feds do something!”
“I would say all this boils down to math. You can take the dollars we’re spending (on prohibition), and go to arch conservatives who are against the ending of prohibition, and say, ‘Here’s a math equation. Here’s what we’re spending in drugs, here’s what we’re doing to destroy peoples lives. And with the ending of prohibition, we can transition from very energy intensive and chemical intensive crops to something much more energy-efficient and environmentally benign, and be creating more products.’ What isn’t conservative about that equation?”
[Via The Daily Beast]