Willie Nelson came into the world in April 1933, in Abbott, Texas. By the end of that year, the country had repealed Prohibition. Ninety-three years later, he is using that coincidence as his argument against a federal ban that takes effect on December 11, one that would outlaw most hemp products containing THC.
What Willie Nelson Actually Said
In a statement given to Inc. and later shared with High Times, Willie asked Congress to stop what he called “foolishness” and pass sensible law instead. He said the ban would wipe out the lawful hemp market and pull the rug out from under American farmers, and that prohibition doesn’t stop people from wanting something. It only hands the market to the black market.
“I was born the year prohibition ended in 1933.”
History, he added, already showed that approach does not work.
He also said the ban “punishes the wrong people.” In his view, it hurts family farmers growing a legal crop, along with the seniors, veterans and patients who, he says, rely on hemp products for pain relief, sleep and wellness. He closed by saying Congress should regulate the industry for safety, not destroy it.
What Changes on December 11
The ban was written into the spending law that ended the 43-day government shutdown in November 2025. It changes the federal definition of hemp. A finished hemp product with more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will no longer count as hemp. Under federal law, it will count as marijuana.
The rule was first set to begin on November 12, 2026. A stopgap funding bill passed this fall moved that date to December 11. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable estimates that more than 95 percent of hemp products fall outside the new definition.
What’s Riding on It for Willie Nelson
Willie is not a bystander here. In March 2025, he launched Willie’s Remedy+, a line of hemp-derived THC seltzers, shots and bottled “social tonics,” at his Luck Reunion festival near Austin, working with the California beverage maker JuneShine. Each serving holds 5 or 10 milligrams of THC, many times the new limit.
The brand grew fast. Inc. reported it had reached a $240 million annual run rate and was profitable, with a cash reserve set aside for the worst case. JuneShine’s chief executive, Greg Serrao, has said the company would consider shutting the line down if Congress does not act. Willie’s older brands are less exposed: Willie’s Reserve sells marijuana under state licenses, and the original Willie’s Remedy sells CBD products, though some of those could be affected too.
Why Some Lawmakers Wanted the Ban
The new limits were pushed by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who also backed the 2018 law that opened the door to hemp farming. He has argued that intoxicating hemp products put kids at risk. High Times also reported that lobbyists for some large brewers and spirits makers urged state attorneys general to keep the ban on schedule.
What Could Still Happen Before the Deadline
Several proposals are in play. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tim Sheehy have been drafting a bridge bill that would limit sales to adults 21 and over while Congress writes permanent rules. Representatives Andy Barr and Angie Craig introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, which would tax and regulate hemp drinks much like alcohol. The National Hemp Association is backing a two-year extension, plus a broader plan it calls the Goodness of Hemp Act, and runs a “Tell Congress” page for people who want to weigh in.
As of late October, none of the replacement bills had received a hearing. The current Congress serves until January 3, 2027, which leaves only a few weeks to act before December 11.
A Fight He Started Long Before the Drinks
Willie Nelson’s support for hemp goes back decades. He co-founded Farm Aid in 1985 to help struggling family farmers, and he spoke up for hemp farming long before it was legal. In a 1991 High Times feature, he put it simply: “I don’t believe in a war on flowers.”
His team is running the company as if a compromise will come. In early November, Willie’s Remedy+ was preparing its first holiday flavor, a cranberry lemonade, bundled with a red vinyl reissue of his 1979 Christmas album Pretty Paper.