Willie Nelson is the best-known cannabis advocate in American music. He says he smoked his first joint in Fort Worth in 1954, has been arrested for marijuana at least four times, became co-chair of the advisory board of the reform group NORML in 1994, and put his name on a cannabis brand, Willie’s Reserve, in 2015. He stopped smoking in 2019 to protect his lungs, though not using cannabis, and in February 2026 his hemp THC drink, Willie’s Remedy+, raised $15 million to go national.
Willie Nelson and cannabis at a glance
| First joint | 1954, Fort Worth, from a fellow musician, by his own account |
|---|---|
| Marijuana arrests | 1974 (Dallas), 1994 (near Hewitt, Texas), 2006 (Louisiana), 2010 (Sierra Blanca, Texas) |
| Advocacy | Became co-chair of NORML’s advisory board in 1994; founded the Teapot Party in 2010 |
| Brands | Willie’s Reserve (cannabis, announced 2015); Willie’s Remedy (hemp, 2018) and Willie’s Remedy+ THC drinks |
| Still smoking? | No. He said in 2019 that he had stopped smoking; he still uses cannabis in other forms |
| Famous story | A joint on the White House roof during the Carter years |
| Latest | $15 million raise for Willie’s Remedy+, February 2026 |
Every item on this page is taken from the public record and linked in the sources below. Page updated Oct 10, 2026.
From a first joint in Fort Worth to four arrests
Nelson told Rolling Stone that he first smoked marijuana in 1954, when a fellow musician in Fort Worth handed him a joint, and that it took him about six months to feel anything.
The law caught up with him repeatedly. Texas Monthly counts arrests in Dallas in 1974, near Hewitt, Texas, in 1994, and in Louisiana in 2006, when officers found marijuana and mushrooms on his tour bus. The best known came on Nov 26, 2010, at a Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas. The sheriff first put the amount at six ounces, later at under four, which made it a misdemeanor. A county judge rejected a plea deal built around a small fine in 2011, and Texas Monthly reported the case still unresolved in 2012.
Days after Sierra Blanca, Nelson answered with a joke that turned into an organization: the Teapot Party, launched on Facebook within days of the arrest.
The White House roof
The most repeated Willie Nelson story is true, with one correction. In his 1988 autobiography he described sitting on the White House roof during Jimmy Carter’s presidency with a beer and a large joint, without naming his companion.
In the 2020 documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, Carter cleared it up: it was one of his own sons. Accounts differ on whether the visit was in 1977 or 1978.
Willie’s Reserve, Willie’s Remedy and the business of being Willie
On April 20, 2015, Nelson announced Willie’s Reserve, a cannabis brand to be grown and sold in Colorado and Washington, the first two states with legal adult sales. In 2018 he added Willie’s Remedy, a hemp line that started with CBD-infused coffee.
The brand has reached New York. When we read 32 licensed New York City dispensary menus on Oct 8, 2026, Willie’s Reserve was listed as a grower for Berry OG at a Queens shop, at $35 per eighth, and was one of seven growers supplying Jack Herer, one of the most stocked strains in the city.
On the advocacy side, NORML founder Keith Stroup has written that Nelson became co-chair of the group’s advisory board in 1994. In 2012 he released the single “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”, recorded with Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson and issued, naturally, on April 20.
Does Willie Nelson still smoke?
Not in the literal sense. In December 2019 he told a San Antonio TV station that he no longer smokes, saying he had to take care of his lungs. His spokeswoman told the Associated Press the same week that he had not given up cannabis, only smoking it. He has credited the plant with a great deal: asked about it by Rolling Stone in 2019, he said, “It saved my life, really.”
In the news: a $15 million bet on hemp drinks (February 2026)
Nelson’s newest product is a drink. MJBizDaily reported on Feb 5, 2026, that Willie’s Remedy+ had raised $15 million from venture investors to take its hemp-derived THC beverage national. The company said it had sold more than 400,000 bottles in under a year and was moving from Total Wine into more retail chains.
The timing is awkward. In November 2025 Congress passed, and the president signed, a federal ban on most hemp THC products, due to take effect in late 2026, and drink makers have been lobbying to delay or replace it. Nelson’s response, quoted in the same report, was that banning hemp will not solve problems and smart regulation will. It is the argument he has made about marijuana for decades, now applied to a can.
Willie Nelson and cannabis: FAQ
Does Willie Nelson still smoke weed?
He said in December 2019 that he had stopped smoking to protect his lungs. His spokeswoman said at the time that he still uses cannabis in other forms.
Did Willie Nelson smoke a joint on the White House roof?
Yes, by his own account in his 1988 autobiography. In a 2020 documentary, Jimmy Carter said the person with him was one of Carter’s sons.
How many times has Willie Nelson been arrested for marijuana?
At least four: Dallas in 1974, near Hewitt, Texas, in 1994, Louisiana in 2006 and Sierra Blanca, Texas, on Nov 26, 2010.
What is Willie’s Reserve?
Willie’s Reserve is Willie Nelson’s cannabis brand, announced on April 20, 2015, and first sold in Colorado and Washington. His hemp line, Willie’s Remedy, followed in 2018.
Is Willie’s Reserve sold in New York City?
Yes. On Oct 8, 2026, Willie’s Reserve was listed as a grower on licensed NYC dispensary menus, including Berry OG at a Queens shop for $35 per eighth.
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Sources
- MJBizDaily, Willie Nelson-branded hemp THC drink goes national with $15 million raise (Feb 5, 2026)
- Rolling Stone, Willie Nelson interview (2019)
- Texas Monthly, Willie Nelson stops smoking
- Texas Monthly, was Willie’s Sierra Blanca case ever settled?
- Marijuana Moment, Carter on the White House roof story
- Associated Press via WHYY, Nelson to roll out his own brand of marijuana (2015)
- NORML, Keith Stroup on Willie Nelson
- Associated Press via WTOP, Nelson has given up smoking but still uses pot (2019)
For adults 21 and over. This page reports what people have said and done on the public record; it is not medical or legal advice. Our New York cannabis guide covers the current rules in New York.
The Just Weed Strains editorial team writes our strain profiles and consumer guides. Strain profiles summarize publicly available information, including breeder and dispensary descriptions. Effects vary from person to person, and nothing on this site is medical advice.