By Elias Marat | The Mind Unleashed
Country music icon and cannabis champion Willie Nelson has taken his very last toke.
The 86-year-old legendary musician cited ongoing breathing problems from smoking so much over the years in an interview with San Antonio television station KSAT.
Nelson claims that while he is otherwise in good health and performs his songs live to stay fit, his lungs have taken too much damage over the years for him to continue puffing away on marijuana.
In the interview, Nelson said:
“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 don’t smoke anymore. I take better care of myself today.”
Nelson also discussed his evolving smoking habits over the years, which began during his youth in Abbott, Texas. He explained:
“I started smoking cedar bark, went from that to cigarettes to whatever.
And that almost killed me.”
Nelson, who enjoyed his first joint in 1954, has long advocated for the legalization of recreational marijuana and credits the plant with saving his life. However, in August the musician had to cancel six dates on tour due to “breathing issues.”
Given that Nelson is a famous performer, his lungs are also one of his greatest assets. He added:
“Your lungs are the biggest muscle you have got. So when you’re out there working, you are working out.”
