With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, Willie Nelson is gearing up to support Vice President Kamala Harris in a unique way.
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Willie Nelson, the 15-time Grammy winner and legendary singer-songwriter, has just announced that he’s hosting a virtual community Zoom call to address cannabis reform in America. Scheduled for October 24 at 7 PM, the event will take place from Nelson's Luck Ranch in Texas, with the goal of rallying support for Kamala Harris and Democratic nominee Tim Walz.
The lineup for the Zoom session is packed with star power. Joining Nelson and his wife, Annie D'Angelo, are well-known personalities like Whoopi Goldberg, Brittney Spencer, Margo Price, attorney Dahr Jamail, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and Representative Brittany Pettersen.
In announcing the event, which he says will “emphasize the importance of cannabis reform in America,” Nelson expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m excited to bring together such an amazing group of people to talk about something we all care about deeply,” he shared. “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.”
This isn't Nelson's first time advocating for cannabis. His relationship with marijuana is long and well-documented, and it's gotten him into legal trouble more than once. Nelson’s first arrest for marijuana possession was in 1974 in Dallas, Texas, and he's faced similar charges a few more times over the years, including in 2006 and 2010. Despite these brushes with the law, Nelson has largely avoided serious consequences, with penalties often being lenient.
Recently, Nelson has been vocal in his support for Proposition R, also called the “Dallas Freedom Act,” which seeks to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis in Dallas. “Marijuana is an herb and a flower, not a crime,” he said in a statement. “Proposition R in Dallas is about fairness and freedom. It’s long past time to end the criminalization of weed in Texas, and I’m proud to support Ground Game Texas in their efforts. Vote for Prop R and let’s move forward together.”
Ground Game Texas, the nonprofit leading the charge for Proposition R, is thrilled to have Nelson’s endorsement. The organization's executive director, Catina Voellinger, expressed her gratitude, saying, “We are honored to have Willie Nelson’s support for the Dallas Freedom Act. Like far too many Texans, Willie knows firsthand how much a weed possession charge can disrupt a life. We’re grateful for his years of advocacy for common-sense reform.”
Nelson has been a dedicated advocate for marijuana legalization for decades. He’s even served on the board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and has spoken extensively about why reform is essential. As he put it in 2008, “It’s a matter of time, a matter of education, a matter of people finding out what cannabis, marijuana is for, why it grows out of the ground, and why it’s prescribed as one of the greatest stress medicines on the planet.”
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