Willie Nelson Asks Biden to Make Marijuana Holiday Official

Willie Nelson is calling on President Joe Biden to declare a week celebrating marijuana an official national holiday. 

The country music legend has launched a petition requesting Biden to recognize "High Holidays" from April 20 (already widely, but informally, observed as a pot-smoker's holiday) through April 29, which is Nelson's birthday.

"The fine people of Luck, Texas, and supporters of the great Willie Nelson, on behalf of cannabis users around the nation, are writing today to ask you to consider declaring the 9 days spanning April 20 to April 29 an official national holiday: the 'High Holidays,'" the petition reads. 

"We believe that recognition of the "High Holidays" opens the door to much needed dialogue supporting the many benefits of cannabis while helping to remove the unjustified stigmas currently surrounding this amazing plant. Please puff, puff, and pass this to your friends in Congress for consideration."

The petition was launched ahead of a virtual cannabis convention scheduled for April 26-29.

The event, titled "Luck Summit: Planting the Seed," was created by Nelson and his Luck Reunion team and will raise funds for the HeadCount’s Cannabis Voter Project. 

"Willie Nelson is a music and cannabis icon, so of course we’re thrilled to partner," said Sam D’Arcangelo, the director of the Cannabis Voter Project, according to Variety. "Texas and the rest of the United States are sitting at a cannabis crossroads right now. There’s no better time to celebrate how far we’ve come and have a conversation about where cannabis legalization goes from here."

Nelson, who turns 88 this month, is a longtime advocate for marijuana use and has opened up about his experiences and decisions. In his 2015 memoir, "It's A Long Story," the singer-songwriter recounted getting stoned on the roof of the White House. 

Nelson was invited by Jimmy Carter, who wanted to thank the country superstar for his campaign support. Following a dinner, Nelson recalled a "White House insider" bringing out a joint after offering to show him what Washington looked like at night from the roof of the White House.

"Getting stoned on the roof of the White House, you can't help but turn inward," Nelson wrote. "Certain philosophical questions come to mind, like... how the f*** did I get here?"

Then, in 2019, Nelson shocked fans by announcing that he had quit smoking weed but his spokeswoman, Elaine Shock, later clarified that he would still be using cannabis, just not smoking it.

"That said," she continued,"Willie does what he wants, when he wants, when it comes to smoking."

Nelson also explained that he made the decision because he wanted to take better care of his health. 

"I have abused my lungs quite a bit in the past, so breathing is a little more difficult these days and I have to be careful," he said. 

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