Willie Nelson's Pot Crusade

A fundraising concert this week in central Texas highlights a topic many arent comfortable talking about: marijuana. Willie Nelson is using music and some star power to push for relaxing marijuana laws at Freedom Fest. Out at his Pedernales studio, Willie Nelson is still recording music, and still touring with his band, but his latest project is a first. Nelson came up with Freedom Fest, a concert at the Backyard in Austin on Friday. Hes the headliner, and hes giving the proceeds to four marijuana reform groups. Nelson helped bring the groups together for the first time to strengthen their lobbying efforts to legalize marijuana. "I liked to see it taxed and regulated, and looked upon as nothing more or less dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes," Nelson says. Concert promoters focused on the music, and barely mentioned the marijuana benefit. Still, advertisers shied away. So why does Nelson think people are afraid to give their opinion about marijuana? "One of them is because its illegal, and once you admit smoking it you have committed to a crime. Somewhere theres a stigma attached to it," Nelson says. Today, Nelson stands up against that stigma. Hes given up the booze and the cigarettes, but not the pot. He says he smokes marijuana daily, but he wasnt always this forthright, especially in his days as a budding musician. Now, at age 74, Nelson says hes more comfortable talking about it, saying that a little more nerve has come with age. "Whats a guy like me who smoked for 50 years. If Im running into the walls or making a lot of bad decisions, but I do a two hour show every night and remember 40 or 50 songs so I challenge anyone out there. You might tie it, but I doubt you can beat it," he says. Willies argument is far from getting the attention of Texas lawmakers. Since 1995, 12 states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. Texas is not one of them. Representative Elliot Naishtat sponsored a medicinal marijuana bill for patients with a bonafide medical condition like AIDS, glaucoma or multiple sclerosis. Chair of the Public Health Committee Diane Delisi denied the bill a hearing. "Making it available for medicinal use wont make it any safer than any other drug," says drug treatment counselor Laurie Delong. Delong agrees with Delisis decision. She says making marijuana legal, even for ailing patients, gives it a perception that its safe. "I know that any given day, I may have 60 kids in my program, and thats what they started with, and thats really hard for me to reconcile," Delong says. They started first with marijuana, but Nelson says ditto with any other drug, legal or illegal. "I dont recommend anything for children cause you need to let your lungs and mind developed, but once you get to be 74 years old, I dont think anyone should tell you what to do," Nelson says. Freedom Fest is Friday at the Backyard in Austin, Texas. Knowing they have an uphill battle in Texas, the marijuana activists plan to spend the concerts proceeds in New York or Illinois, states that are closer to legalizing medical marijuana. For more information, you can visit www.austinfreedomfest.com.