Willie Nelson Has Quit Smoking Weed After It “Almost Killed” Him

In other news: Hell has frozen over

Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson performs onstage during the 44th Annual Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic at Austin360 Amphitheater on July 4, 2017 in Austin, Texas.  (Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage)
Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson performs onstage during the 44th Annual Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic at Austin360 Amphitheater on July 4, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/WireImage)
WireImage

In a truly unexpected move, legendary country singer/notorious pothead Willie Nelson has revealed that he stopped smoking marijuana after it “almost killed” him.

Nelson, 86, made the revelation to San Antonio TV station KSAT, telling them that he had to quit smoking after some recent breathing problems. “Singing out there for an hour is a good workout,” he said. “Your lungs are the biggest muscle you got, so when you’re out there working, you’re working out…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…I mistreated myself since I was this big. I started smoking cedar bark, went from that to cigarettes to whatever, and that almost killed me. I don’t smoke anymore. I take better care of myself now than I did then.”

The singer responsible for tracks like “It’s All Going to Pot,” “Sometimes Even I Can Get Too High” and “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die” also addressed rumors that he is “near death,” saying, “I don’t give a shit — excuse me. I’m here, I’m glad to be here, I’m lucky to be here.”

Of course, just because he can’t smoke anymore doesn’t mean Willie can’t get high. As Nelson told Rolling Stone recently, he eats weed chocolates that his wife makes. So we can all sleep a little better at night knowing that while Willie Nelson isn’t smoking weed anymore, he’s still probably stoned.

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.