86-year-old country musician Willie Nelson declares he'll stop smoking pot after 65 years. The country musician claims that smoking pot gave him ongoing health and breathing issues. "I don't smoke anymore," he said in an interview with KSAT San Antonio. "I take better care of myself today that I did then."
DOES WILLIE NELSON NO LONGER SUPPORT CANNABIS CONSUMPTION?
In an article written by Rolling Stone, Willie Nelson said that cannabis had saved his life. Cannabis had been his choice after struggling with smoking and drinking when he suffered from pneumonia four times in his youth. "I had a pack of 20 Chesterfields, and I threw 'em all away and rolled up 20 fat joints." Nelson said in the interview. "I haven't smoked a cigarette since. I haven't drank that much either."
Willie Nelson owns a cannabis company which he calls "Willie's Reserve" and managed by his wife Annie and since Willie is battling with emphysema, his wife would tell him to look out for his lungs (READ: Marijuana Chewing Gum is Said to Relieve Fibromyalgia Pain). Recently, in an interview in San Antonio, Nelson admits that years of smoking weed has taken a toll on him. "I have used 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. He also explained that he has mistreated his body since he was young. "I started out smoking cedar bark and it went from that to cigarettes." Because of his breathing issues, Nelson was forced to cancel six shows on his tour.
However, Nelson clarifies that he is not quitting cannabis altogether. It would be quite a shock to everyone if ever Nelson decides to quit cannabis permanently; after all, his name is already synonymous with the subculture. He was vocal about legalizing weed and for people to acknowledge its medical benefits—he even established Willie's Remedy last year (READ: The DEA Wants More Marijuana and Less Opioids). Nowadays, instead of smoking weed, he now digests cannabis in chocolate and coffee form, which his company produces.
So, is Willie Nelson going to say goodbye to cannabis? Elaine Shock, his publicist, clarified that the country singer is far from quitting. The country singer also announced that he does not plan on stopping touring and is already prepared for 2020.
ARE THERE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM CANNABIS?
A lot of publications have already discussed their primary findings on the effects of marijuana on the human body—mostly positive responses. For instance, according to the report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, there is definitive proof that cannabinoids can greatly help as a pain reliever in times of chronic pain and can also help with muscle spasms.
Meanwhile, the Journal of the American Medical Association reiterates that smoking marijuana actually helps in improving lung capacity. As a matter of fact, the association clarifies that smoking marijuana is only harmful when a patient has a history of smoking tobacco and cigarettes prior to or simultaneously smoking pot. The researchers behind the claim tested 5,115 young adults over the course of 20 years and showed that the lungs of tobacco users degraded over time while pot smokers showed an increase in lung capacity. This might be attributed to taking deep breaths while inhaling the drug rather than the presence of cannabinoids.
