Willie Nelson is once again batting for marijuana, asking President Joe Biden to recognize the holiday in a week-long celebration, starting April 20 and concluding April 29, which just happens to be the singer’s birthday.
Nelson, along with his Luck Reunion concert team, started a petition that gained some online traction. The petition explained that there should be an entire week dedicated to celebrate marijuana, with 420 serving as the kickoff to the “High Holidays.”
The petition is written with a humorous angle, referring to Nelson as one of the patron saints of cannabis, but it does mention the importance of starting a dialogue regarding cannabis and aiding in eliminating the negative and often mistaken perceptions associated with the plant.
“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,’” reads the petition. “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.”
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Starting today, Luck and Willie Nelson are presenting “Luck Summit: Planting the Seed,” billed as the first annual cannabis convention. The goal of the summit, this year hosted virtually, is to “destigmatize, educate, and promote cannabis culture in an informative and entertaining way.” The event will highlight cannabis advocates who discuss the political, scientific and ethical benefits of marijuana, along with commenting on the state of the industry and marijuana community.
The #HighHolidays begin on 4/20 and end on Willie Nelson’s birthday – 4/29. Help Luck and one of the patron saints of cannabis, Willie, make the High Holidays a officially recognized holiday period by signing the petition at https://t.co/BPqgXsTpZB#PassItOnpic.twitter.com/BdnIKMSAxb
— Luck Reunion (@LuckReunion) April 2, 2021
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Nelson is a larger than life figure in pop culture, especially when analyzed through the lens of cannabis. The musician and activist has long held ties with cannabis, fighting for it during times when it wasn’t embraced by the majority of the population.
The petition concludes with some of Nelson’s words: “I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?”
