Willie Nelson To Launch 'Willie's Reserve' Marijuana Brand

Say what you will about what a lifetime of chuffing the devil's lettuce does to a person's brain, but if Willie Nelson's business acumen at the sprightly age of 81 is anything to go by, there's solid proof that you can remain shrewd and savvy right to the bitter end.

According to an interview on The Daily Beast, the formerly red-headed stranger is making the move into the legal cannabis market in Washington, Colorado, Alaska, Oregon and any other states where the drug can be sold freely, looking to get a slice of that sweet, sweet fledgling billion-dollar industry with his own line of pot dubbed Willie's Reserve.

"Well, you know, Willie has spent a lifetime in support of cannabis, both the industrial hemp side and the marijuana side," legalisation advocate and Willie's Reserve spokesman Michael Bowman told The Daily Beast.

"He wants it to be something that’s reflective of his passion. Ultimately, it’s his. But it was developed by his family, and their focus on environmental and social issues, and in particular this crazy war on drugs, and trying to be a bright light amongst this trail as we’re trying to extract ourselves from the goo of prohibition.

"Really he wants it, at the end of the day, to envelop what his personal morals and convictions are. So from the store itself to how they’ll work with suppliers and how things are operated, it’s going to be very reflective of Willie’s life."

Bowman went on to explain that the Willie's Reserve brand extends beyond just producing their own marijuana - there are plans for stores, paraphernalia, and third-party supplier deals all in the works as part of Nelson's grand vision.

"There will be our own [product], and then there will be opportunities for other growers, who meet quality standards," Bowman said.

"Let’s just call it the anti-Walmart model. Personally, internally, that’s what we call it. A certain standard by which growers have to account for carbon and such, in a way that empowers small growers who are doing the right thing."

"It will be like when you walk into a Whole Foods store," he continued. "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."

Willie's Reserve is expected to hit the US market in 2016.