By: Joshua Waldrop
Willie Nelson is no stranger to cannabis or coffee so it should come as no surprise that the music legend has launched his own line of CBD-infused coffee. The brew marks the first in a line of CBD products under the Willie’s Remedy line, created by Nelson’s wife Annie, that promises to expand to topicals and confections. While Willie has been a notable cannabis advocate for decades, Mrs. Nelson notes that Willie’s Remedy isn’t about the high but about the wellness benefits of CBD.
“Willie’s Remedy is a purposeful departure from Willie’s Reserve. It’s not about getting high, but it’s still all about Willie and the benefits we believe [CBD] has to offer,” said Annie Nelson to Rolling Stone.
The country music icon launched his own cannabis line, Willie’s Reserve, in 2015. Legendary for both his weed potency and tolerance, it only made sense that a line of coffee be the first release in the CBD product series as it marries two indulgence dear to Nelson’s heart.
“It’s two of my favorites, together in the perfect combination,” Nelson told the NY Times.
While tales of fellow musicians and the like getting not just high but the most high with Willie are legendary and too numerous to note, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD) has become the hottest trend in health and wellness. With measurable THC less than 0.3 mg Willie’s Remedy offers a healing body high without the mindful haze offered by indulging in weed. As cannabis enthusiasts wait for the world to come around to full legalization, many governing bodies including the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have already spoken in favor of the CBD.
With the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 fully decriminalizing hemp and opening the doors to it’s wide range of production possibilities, it also makes sense that Willie Nelson become a defacto figurehead for the CBD movement. For decades, Nelson has been a champion and advocate for America’s farmers, creating and hosting his annual Farm Aid music festival with proceeds benefiting farmers and their families. The legalization of hemp and the potential benefits for the nation’s farmhands, particularly in light of the popularity and explosive expansion of CBD, is not lost on Nelson.
“Hemp production in America was stifled for so long, but it could now make all the difference for small independent farmers,” stated Nelson. “Hemp isn’t just good for our farmers and our economy, it’s good for our soil, our environment — and our health.”
Nelson’s CBD-infused coffee is described as a medium-dark whole-bean blend with flavor notes of cherry and cocoa. Each 8 ounce cup will contain five to seven milligrams of hemp-derived CBD and retails for $36 per pound. According to the Willie’s Remedy website, the infused coffee combines the benefits of cannabis with other plants and offers a “perfect harmony of focus from the caffeine plus calm from the cannabis.” The coffee is sourced from various smallholder farms in Columbia’s Santuario region and is a proprietary blend composed of three bean varietals: Castillo, Columbia, and Caturra. The CBD full-spectrum hemp oil is grown in Colorado.
Annie Nelson will be helming the Willie’s Remedy line with Willie serving as the final arbiter. Mrs. Nelson is no stranger to developing cannabis infused fare. Annie’s Edibles, her signature whole-plant infused chocolates, hit shelves as an offshoot of Willie’s Reserve, as well as their SunGrown line featuring infused hard candies in flavors such as “Honeysuckle Hot” and “Fresh Maple Blossom.” While CBD infused lotions and topicals certainly are on the docket, it would seem that a CBD treat to chase with coffee would be a natural complement.
