Anytime someone mentions country music and marijuana, the artist that primarily comes to mind is the outspoken outlaw activist, marijuana tokin' Willie Nelson. So, what about some of Willie's country music colleagues that are willing to sing tribute to puffin' the stuff, but apparently aren't as willing to publicly support the legalization of the plant?
I think it's high time a few of this generation's marijuana consuming country music artists step up to the mike and use their celebrity to help bring an end to prohibition, but will they?
Just hearing the words "country music" may make some individuals cringe, but regardless of whether you enjoy that particular genre or find it absolutely dreadful it is still the most popular category of music in America. Really? Yes, really. I know, right? Its popularity is actually up one percentile from 2012 totaling out at 28 percent of all Americans that were surveyed for 2013.
With those numbers having been revealed, hopefully you can see how important of a role the country music artists that believe marijuana should be legal to consume for adults could actually play in the fight to bring change to our government's antiquated drug policy.
Today's generation of country artists that fit the "outlaw" label such as Jamey Johnson, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Randy Houser and the Zac Brown Band, just to name a few, seemingly aren't fearful of singing lyrics that pay reverence to tokin' the reefer, we just need them to come out from behind the woodshed and help spread the word that you can in fact consume marijuana and still be a successful contributing member of society.
I may be seriously mistaken in assuming that the artist's I've mentioned are paying homage to da kind bud in some of their songs. And maybe that's because not all of the country artist's that are singing about weed make it blatantly obvious, but I'm pretty sure the "stash" that Eric Church is digging "down deep" to find in his tune "Smoke A Little Smoke" isn't a tin of his Grandpa's favorite pipe tobacco. But I could be wrong.
Maybe Jamey Johnson's talking about a particularly productive harvest of tomatoes when he sings "just over the hill, you'll see all these plants that's been paying my bills" in his song "Can't Cash My Checks." Mm, I like tomatoes. Three bucks a pound at the farmer's market can add up quickly. When times get tough, sell tomatoes! Right, Jamey?
And I guess it's possible that Randy Houser is referring to cigarettes dipped in embalming fluid when he sings "I've been known to giggle on a joke, mostly when I'm smokin' on my smoke" in his tune "They Call Me Cadillac." Be careful okay, Randy, because that's a surefire way to kill brain cells, plus the whole risking your life thing, it's just not good son.
Not to mention that the Zac Brown Band could have easily meant a nice spicy burrito when they refer to rolling a "big fat one" in their song "Toes," but I think it's safe to assume that "the smoke" that Dierks Bentley and his cohorts want you to let "roll over your lips" from his song "Tip It On Back" isn't lofting from the spare ribs cooking up on the barbeque grill. Nope, these artists are singing about dope, and unless they are card holding residents from a state that permits medical marijuana usage, they themselves are truly "outlaws" that unconsciously support the black market.
I am personally not a fan of country music, so I can't attest as to whether the alleged marijuana consuming country artist's in question use their performances as an opportunity to preach to their fans about legalizing marijuana. But in my personal history as an activist, Willie Nelson is the only country artist that I can verifiably proclaim has publicly advocated for the reform of our nations marijuana laws.
Maybe Willie's age and the fact that he's been arrested so many times, which theoretically means he has a lot less to lose in comparison to his younger crooning-cronies, keeps others from coming out of hiding and accepting the proverbial torch from the apparent sole-supporter of marijuana legalization in country music.
Are the country artist's that are so eager to sing to their fans about using marijuana truly concerned about losing their fan base if they publicly support ending prohibition, or are they worried they will end up a with a huge pot leaf style target on their tour buses like the one that is apparently been stamped on Willie's bus?
Either way it seems as if ol' Willie may have to keep carrying the activism torch all by his lonesome unless a few of the marijuana consuming country artists of today can muster up the courage to join him in the fight to bring justice to such an unjust federal drug policy.
I understand the risk factor of publicly advocating for the legalization of marijuana, it's colossal! But just imagine if we were able to get all of the celebrity types that are evident enjoyers of this unwarrantedly illegal plant to publicly endorse efforts to end its prohibition we would be a hell of a lot further along the road to global victory.
So I'm calling out to all those celebrity lovers of the sweet leaf, bring the bong out from behind the guesthouse and help Willie out, he's getting' tired, damn it! Hang in there, Willie! You may have to keep touring for a few more decades at this rate.