Willie Nelson launched his own THC-infused alcohol company, Willie's Remedy+, in March of 2025. Since then, he's successfully established himself not only as a legendary musician but also as a one-of-a-kind entrepreneur.
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As he continues to expand his brand nationally to stores like Lowe's and Binny's Beverage Depot, Nelson tells Inc. more about the leading inspiration for creating the alcohol substitute.
"Everything I do is related to something I did before," Nelson explains. "[This is] a great substitute for alcohol, and I know a lot of people drink too much.... Alcohol has killed so many of my friends that, on top of that, I still open the show with 'Whiskey River.'"
Right now, Willie's company sells a lineup of spirits, seltzers, and shots, which are all beverages infused with THC. All of the products let customers choose between 5 mg and 10 mg, as well as a variety of flavors.
A Brief History of Willie Nelson's Sobriety Journey
Back in 1978, Nelson decided to go "California Sober", meaning that he would abstain from cigarettes and whiskey permanently. However, he still planned to indulge in cannabis from time to time.
In a 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Wilson explained what it was like before he embraced sobriety.
"I used to drink a lot. And that brings on negative thinking," he shared. "You start thinking about everything that's wrong and then you better drink another or take another shot so it gets better. And it don't get better... I think that weed kept me from wanting to kill people. And probably kept a lot of people from wanting to kill me, too—out there drunk, running around."
It was that same year, in 2019, that the "Highwayman" was forced to give up smoking cannabis as well, due to the effect it had on his breathing. However, he still believes that cannibis is "medicine" and not a "killer drug."
"It saved my life, really," he shared. "I wouldn't have lived 85 years if I'd have kept drinking and smoking like I was when I was 30, 40 years old... It's nice to watch it being accepted—knowing you were right all the time about it: that it was not a killer drug."
Forrest Dein, who helps with the sales, marketing and distribution for Remedy+ puts it perfectly. "This story is as good as it gets," he says. "There's no one who's more synonymous with cannabis."
