Nelson’s own brand of weed – “Willie’s Reserve” – supports dozens of small, organic marijuana growers so they can compete against the corporate cannabis cartel
As the medical and recreational use of marijuana become legal across the country, the control of the product is becoming concentrated in the hands of a select few corporate interests.
A recent report of ours reveals how the Monsanto-Bayer merger has aligned itself perfectly to corner the market on cannabis.
Bayer brings the world’s first patented GMO cannabis strain to the table, and Monsanto brings its partnership with Miracle-Gro, which has already purchased three of the largest growers in the business.
Growers licenses are very expensive and the government grants very few of them, pushing most small, independent growers out of the game. And most big growers, even though they aren’t using GMOs yet, are using several harmful pesticides.
“Prior to legalization, black market growers typically would not use any pesticides because the quantity of plants tended to be low,” The Waking Times notes.
“But when you’re investing millions of dollars in a large cultivation center, you can bet they are not going to take the risk of their crop getting wiped out by mold or mildew or insects,” says Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Luckily, small, organic weed growers have an ally — Willie Nelson.
Nelson has created his own brand of weed supplied by about 30 independent farmers whose growing practices have earned his personal stamp of approval.
“Willie’s Reserve” empowers small, local farmers by giving them the Willie Nelson branding in exchange for using natural, and/or certified organic, growing methods without the use of harmful pesticides or herbicides.
“For decades, as Willie and his band travelled from town to town, pot enthusiasts flocked to his shows, their pockets stuffed with offerings from their home gardens and local communities,” and now Willie is “gladly returning the favor,” Nelson’s website says.
“My stash is your stash,” Willie says.
Nelson has strong feelings about what he sees as a corporate attempt to “monopolize” marijuana: “That’s horseshit. That ain’t right, and we’ll do everything we can to keep that from happening.”
Nelson has reportedly quit smoking weed, because the smoke was hurting his lungs, but his publicist said he still uses cannabis in other forms, such as edibles and vapor.
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