Cannabis Blog

After Willie Nelson's arrest last week (Nov. 26) for marijuana possession, the country star managed to steer clear of felony charges and walked away with a misdemeanor. 

The southern superstar was originally suspected of carrying six ounces of the narcotic, which was found on his tour bus while traveling from California to Texas. Nelson faced felony charges with a maximum sentence of two years in prison plus a $10,000 fine. Officials later determined the amount of marijuana to be four ounces, earning the 77-year-old a $4,000 fine and maximum one-year prison term. However, according to TMZ.com, Nelson will not be jailed.

In an interview with 'Rolling Stone,' Mickey Raphael, a harmonica player for Nelson, revealed that the 'Country Music' performer was in high spirits since he was arrested and subsequently released. "He said he feels great - he lost six ounces," Raphael said. 

Dick DeGuerin, a Texas criminal defense lawyer, questioned the lawfulness of the search. DeGuerin pointed out that officials searched the vehicle 100 miles from the Mexican border. 

"It's supposed to be a checkpoint only for aliens, and [agents] overstep their authority all the time," explained DeGuerin, who recently represented former politician Tom Delay and country singer Billy Joe Shaver. "I've had several cases from that checkpoint and they just use the opportunity to check out anybody they want to. If you have long hair, if you're driving a van or it looks like you're from California or you look like a hippie, they do profiling."