“Hemp isn’t just good for our farmers and our economy, it’s good for our soil, our environment and our health” - Willie Nelson
You don’t have to be a country and western music fanatic to have heard of Willie Nelson. The long-standing American musician, songwriter, actor, activist, philanthropist, and legend, that is Willie Nelson, is also a staunch businessman who also has his very own lines of CBD products.
His cannabis brand, launched back in 2015, goes by the name of Willie’s Reserve, while his more recent foray into the world of CBD was launched in 2018 under the name Willie’s Remedy.
In honour of his upcoming 88th birthday, let’s take a quick look at how he came about owning his own CBD wellness brand.
America’s Most Legendary Stoner
As America’s most legendary stoner, Willie’s love of cannabis has been well-documented over the years, so having his own cannabis brand, Willie’s Reserve, seemed almost inevitable.
Willie smoked his first joint in 1954, when he was just 21 years old. Since then, he’s smoked on the roof of the White House with one of former-President Jimmy Carter’s sons and out smoked Snoop Dogg (Snoop said so himself on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2018).
He has appeared in and on the cover of High Times Magazine countless times since his first appearance in 1978 and has even been arrested for possession of marijuana several times, the latest being in 2010 while on tour.
Smoking Takes It’s Toll
Unfortunately, having smoked cigarettes in his younger years and marijauna almost his entire life, Willie Nelson has a history of emphysema. But talking about where he’d be without pot, with Rolling Stone Magazine a few years ago, he said “I wouldn’t be alive. It saved my life, really. I wouldn’t have lived 85 years if I’d kept drinking and smoking like I was when I was 30,40 years old”.
It was when he was suffering from a bout of bronchitis several years ago, that the idea for a business in cannabis came about. Unable to smoke cannabis, Willie’s wife, Annie, started making him edibles so that he could still benefit from the plant’s properties. And while sitting around their kitchen table at home, the idea for Willie’s Reserve was born.
Campaigning for Cannabis
Marijuana wasn’t just about getting high for Willie. throughout his career he often spoke out about the useful benefits of cannabis, as well as the economic potential of taxing it and putting profits towards education.
In pursuit of his beliefs, Willie spent years actively campaigning for marijuana to be legalised as the co-chair of the advisory board for the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
He finally launched Willie’s Reserve in 2015, a time when marijuana was being legalised across many US states.
What is Willie's Remedy?
Willies Remedy CBD first appeared in the states back in 2018 and unlike Willie’s Reserve, is a hemp-derived product line with zero THC in it.
Willie hopes that his Willie’s Remedy products will help to educate people about the many benefits of hemp which carries many of the same benefits that can be found in medical marijuana.
His wife Annie explained “It's not about getting high, but it's still all about Willie and the benefits we believe cannabis has to offer. Willie and I are proud to offer quality, American-sourced hemp wellness options for people of his generation, our kids' generation and everyone in between."
Again, it was great timing, as CBD was exploding in popularity across the US, thanks to the Hemp Farming Act which legalised hemp at the federal level, defining hemp as a cannabis plant with only trace amounts of the intoxicating THC compound.
The brand launched with Willies Remedy Coffee. It is a whole-bean coffee infused with certified organic CBD oil that is extracted from hemp grown in the USA in Colorado. When asked about his coffee, Willie said, “It’s two of my favourites, together in the perfect combination… Like coffee, cannabis is a plant that works for me”.
The Nelsons clearly take their coffee very seriously. Not only are the beans roasted in small batches, but they’ve even got coffee brewing tips on their website, so you can enjoy it just like they do.
An “average” serving contains around 10-15mg of CBD oil and the brand has since launched a number of other CBD products including a selection of tinctures, teas, and a CBD-infused topical balm.
They don’t have any CBD edibles at the moment, but we’re sure they’ll follow soon. In the meantime, avid fans can use Willie’s Remedy CBD tinctures to make their own edibles at home as they can easily be added to food and drinks.
Since giving up smoking, edibles are reported to be Willie’s favourite way of consuming cannabinoids, along with his famous CBD-infused coffee.
Supporting America’s Farmers
Willie’s CBD wellness brand not only offers consumers the opportunity to benefit from the therapeutic properties of cannabis without getting high, but it also gives him the opportunity to support America’s family farmers, of whom he has always been a active and vocal advocate for.
He played an integral part in founding and running Farm Aid in 1985 and, along with several other musicians, has raised more than $48 million to help family farmers thrive and compete against industrial agriculture.
He is proud to support America’s booming hemp industry and recently said that “When it comes to creating sustainable jobs for American farmers and manufacturers, hemp is the answer".
Willie Nelson’s Birthday
If you’d like to join us in a Willie Nelson birthday toast on the 29th April, we encourage you to add a couple of drops of your favourite Patch Adam CBD oil to your morning coffee and raise your cup in celebration.
Happy birthday Willie!