American icon and former Fort Worth resident Willie Nelson paid $780 and put an end to that marijuana arrest business. A border patrol checkpoint arrested him in November after they smelled marijuana on his bus and found what was initially reported as 5 ounces — but later mysteriously reduced to 2 ounces — of Willie weed.
If the cops hadn’t arrested Willie and confiscated his stash, it probably would have shrunk even quicker.
But the beauty part is this — with the pot charge no longer hanging over Willie’s head, he’ll be less stressed out and anxious when he comes to Fort Worth next month for his mammoth July 4 Picnic at Billy Bob’s Texas. (I don’t use smiley faces and winky faces in my writing, but if I did I would put one after that last sentence.)
It is Un-American, overkill and morally bankrupt to arrest nonviolent adults for making a safer health choice, cannabis or marijuana, compared to other medicinal/social drugs. Stop this tyranny in the guise of good intentions.
Morally bankrupt policy is a violence triggering nightmare! Control illicit drugs similar to alcohol and tobacco.
Less than 1% of US are actually addicted to anything illegal. About 9% are alcoholics but much of the public health burden of alcohol use is caused by the non-addictive use; including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, incest, child molestation, spouse abuse, other family violence, fatal car crashes, accidents, and homicides. On college campuses alone, almost 2000 deaths, 100,000 sexual assaults, 600,000 injuries, and 700,000 assaults are the annual consequences of alcohol use.
I dare say if more would use cannabis instead of alcohol like Willie Nelson, one of my 2010 Rebels with Just Cause, we might see a drop in some of the gloomy statistics listed above.
If more could use safer cannabis to replace dangerous opiates and other harmful pharmaceuticals or tobacco, many more lives would be saved. If those who report overdose to medical personnel did not fear arrest, overdoses would virtually disappear.
Its not a perfect answer just better.
I’m not certain Fort Worth has enough Granddaddy Purple, Bubblegum and White Widow in town to satisfy Willie and ALL the folks that show up for his picnic.
Sadly, the picnics in the StockYards aren’t nearly as fun or friendly as the old shows. Willie’s Fort Worth fans aren’t as laid back, sweet and tolerant as his fans used to be “back in the day.” And I apologise profusely for using that thoroughly ignorant expression.
Willie, on the other hand, is a godsend and national treasure.
It isn’t an either/or situation. Pot smokers are free to also use alcohol. We don’t need to add another legal judgement impairing drug.
Nobody is proposing we “add” anything. People who want to drink already do and those who wish to use cannabis are already doing it. The real question is whether or not you or anyone else has the right to make that choice for others and whether or not we should continue to spend billions each year tossing our friends and neighbors In prison just because they are making a much safer choice. America can certainly find much more pressing and Important things to spend that money on, especially now!
Jeff,
I wish you reported on Nashville. I miss you man!
-Jordan
Throw it down Willie……www.LetWillieSmoke.com