12 June 2011 - A West Texas prosecutor annouced last week that the legendary singer and songwriter has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia and has agreed to pay a $500 fine plus court costs of about $280. Nelson was charged with marijuana possession last November. A Border Patrol officer smelled pot inside Nelson's tour bus when it was pulled over at a checkpoint on Interstate 10. Officials have determined that there was a "little bit less than two ounces" (56 g) of cannabis in the bus, which allows the case to be treated as a misdemeanor. Officials had initially reported that as much as five ounces of pot was discovered, which would have made the case a felony.
4 May 2011 - Willie Nelson celebrated his 78th birthday in style on Saturday with multiple cakes and a big concert in Austin. He's performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Friday, and after a show in Texas on Saturday, gets a much-deserved three-week break.
Willie Nelson, country singer-songwriter, long-haired hippie and philanthropist, has had a prolific music career.
28 March 2011 - Singer-songwriter and marijuana enthusiast Willie Nelson could have faced a lengthy jail term after he was arrested for possession in November.
But perhaps the Texas prosecutor has been smoking some of Willie’s special cigarettes, because he has agreed to let the 77-year-old legend avoid prison but only if he gives the court a song.
Hudspeth County Attorney Kit Bramblett said: ‘I’m gonna let him plead, pay a small fine and he’s gotta sing “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” with his guitar right there in the courtroom.’
14 Oct 2010 - Asked by the High Times Magazine if he supports Prop 19, which would legalize pot in California if passed by voters on Nov. 2, Willie Nelson recently stated:
"Of course, I would endorse it anywhere, in any state, any time. I think eventually, the worse the economy gets, the more sense it makes to legalize marijuana. First of all, you save all that money being spent on drug enforcement, all the money that goes for putting people in prison for smoking pot."
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