Pubdate: Mon, 03 Aug 2015
Source: Manteca Bulletin (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Manteca Bulletin
Contact:  http://www.mantecabulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3670
Author: Jim Hightower

ROLLING UP WITH WILLIE NELSON

With marijuana prohibition finally ending in states and cities across 
the land - including full legalization in Alaska, Colorado, 
Washington State, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. - who could be better 
than my friend Willie Nelson to lead the way for weed quality and 
social responsibility?

The iconic musician and intrepid fighter for justice has announced 
that he'll market his own marijuana brand, "Willie's Reserve," and 
open a group of stores selling top-quality pot and paraphernalia.

"I feel like I was buying so much of it, it's time to start selling 
it back," Willie said of his new weed venture. "I am looking forward 
to working with the best growers in Colorado and Washington to make 
sure our product is the best on the market."

A tireless champion of small farmers, civil liberties, the 
environment, common sense, and the common good, Nelson plans to start 
rolling out his stores and products this year, and he'll expand 
further as state laws allow. In the typical Willie way, the stores 
will be "the anti-Wal-Mart model," with a core purpose of helping 
expand the market for small, energy-efficient, environmentally sound growers.

Over the years I've cited Willie's work in calling for legalization 
and restoration of hemp farming in America. I've also called 
repeatedly for an end to the Orwellian, Kafkaesque drug war that's 
criminalized the cannabis equivalent of cocktail hour. Around 700,000 
people are arrested each year for marijuana-related offenses.

And now, I salute the innumerable grassroots activists who've 
steadily pushed America from the darkness of reefer madness to being 
able to light up a Willie without getting busted. Find out more from 
the Marijuana Policy Project (mpp. org) and NORML (norml.org).
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom