After decades of fighting the war on drugs, select states have started legalizing marijuana, and that means an enormous opportunity for an already-massive industry (some predict that in just a few years the weed business could be larger than the NFL) to go legit. Over the next few years, we’re going to see plenty of entrepreneurs throw their beanies into the weed-selling business in various ways, and we already have a well-known name gearing up to make a big entrance.
Country legend Willie Nelson recently let slip in an interview with the Daily Beast that he’s planning on launching his own brand of weed, which will apparently be called “Willie’s Reserve”. The writer then spoke with longtime pot legalization advocate Michael Bowman, who is set to serve as the brand’s spokesperson (not Willie!), and he explained in greater detail what the brand will stand for, and what the company will look like.
From what he shared, it looks like Willie’s Reserve is going to be much more than just marijuana. The brand is looking to open brick and mortar locations, though obviously only in states where the substance has been legalized—Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Washington DC, and Oregon later in 2015. Those working at the fledgling company want their firm to be the “anti-Walmart”, as they want to treat all those that they work with fairly, from employees to partners. No word just yet on when the stores will open, but the plans are in motion.
The stores will sell Willie’s own strain of weed, as well as product from other companies, with Bowman comparing the model to Whole Foods:
“Whole Foods has their 365 brand, or you can buy Stony Brook, or you can buy Horizon… It’ll all fall under that umbrella of “here’s our core beliefs, and here’s our mission statement,” and they will be a part of that, to be a part of us.”
The news that Nelson wants to get into the weed business should come as a surprise to nobody, as the singer-songwriter has been a fan and advocate of the drug for decades. He has spoken publicly on the need to divert the billions being spent on attempts to stop the spread of marijuana to more worthwhile causes in dozens of interviews, and he has been arrested for possession four times. At 81 years young, it's awesome to see Nelson still pushing forward, changing what society sees as acceptable.
