Throughout his decades-long career, Willie Nelson has never been afraid to take a political stance and stand up for what he believes in, and the latest presidential election is no exception. The 91-year-old singer and songwriter has been a cannabis advocate since the 1950s, making himself one of the longest-running supporters of the plant in the world.
Although Nelson no longer smokes weed, citing pneumonia and breathing issues, he’s transitioned into his edibles era. In fact, he and his wife are set to release Willie and Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook in the near future, which will be chock-full of delicious weed-infused recipes for marijuana lovers everywhere.
And, naturally, he still pushes for full legalization and public acceptance of the plant. This year, he’s been an active supporter of Kamala Harris during the upcoming election campaign, with much of his championing centering around cannabis.
On October 24, Nelson held a digital fundraising event for Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz dubbed “Cannabis Community for Kamala.” The event focused primarily on how she can support and enact cannabis reform and federal legalization if made President. One of Harris’s key focuses leading up to the election has been her promise to fully legalize recreational marijuana, highlighting her changed views on cannabis throughout her career.
“This is our chance to truly end prohibition,” he said during the online event. “Get out and vote for Kamala Harris.”
Included in this virtual conference were influential persons such as Nelson’s wife, Annie D’Angelo, Whoopi Goldberg, Margo Price, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, former NFL player Ricky Williams, and a handful of other prominent cannabis advocates.
“I’m excited to bring together such an amazing group of people to talk about something we all care about deeply,” Nelson said in a statement before the event. “Cannabis is a path to healing, opportunity, and justice, and supporting leaders like Kamala Harris who understand that is crucial to putting an end to the federal prohibition and undoing the harms it caused to so many, particularly to communities of color where it has been disproportionately enforced.”
Nelson’s support in this area is important for several reasons; first, having such strong backing from a native Texan can be invaluable to a candidate like Harris. Not only does he depict a way forward in progressive politics for a traditionally conservative area, but he also shows that such policies can benefit people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
As the last denizen of the “outlaw country” era, Nelson is a figure of a piece of American history that is, unfortunately, long gone. But many people are still alive who remember such times, and they still want to feel seen and heard in culture and politics – making him an ideal representation of the merging of traditional values and the adoption of modern movements.
Additionally, drawing attention to the ways that cannabis legalization can benefit typically marginalized communities is a vital piece of the puzzle in ending the War on Drugs. While many people want recreational weed legalized simply so they have easier access to it, passing this law would open up economic opportunities, expunge criminal records, and create jobs for people of color who have been historically disenfranchised by cannabis criminalization.
During Nelson’s event, Colorado Representative Brittany Peterson spoke on the topic, stating: “We all know that Kamala Harris is a champion for effective drug policies, and I want to applaud the Biden-Harris administration for having the courage and leadership to recommend the rescheduling of marijuana. It’s such a big deal to have a presidential candidate who has come out to say that she supports legalizing marijuana. That has never happened in the past. Right now, marijuana is unfortunately at the highest possible level. Schedule I drugs are defined by a high propensity for drug abuse and for having no medical benefit, this is not relevant for marijuana. It is scheduled at the same level as heroin.”
Fortunately, the current administration has made some progress on the cannabis rescheduling front. The official hearing with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) to determine whether or not to move cannabis to Schedule III is slated for next month, and advocates are hopeful that the measure will pass. However, although this would open up some new avenues for cannabis, it still does not fully legalize the plant, thus making federal legalization a continued topic of importance.
With Election Day currently imminent, tensions and nerves are high across the country. But legendary stoners like Willie Nelson remind us that progress will continue – for now, we can simply sit back, spark up, and continue to fight for what we believe in.
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