Willie Nelson Launches Willie's Reserve in Colorado

The who's who of Colorado's marijuana industry gathered Saturday night for the unveiling of Willie's Reserve, Willie Nelson's cannabis company.

To launch his new product, Nelson hosted two kick-off concerts, one last week in Washington state and another on Saturday, July 30, at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village.

"This event's been a collection of the people that support the ideals of Willie Nelson. It's a collection of people that understand that music and cannabis and culture and society all blend together really well," says pioneering ganjapreneur Kayvan Khalatbari, who's been working with Willie's Reserve. (See him in the video above.)
Not only is he looking forward to building a company that can help people, says Nelson in an announcement for the unveiling, but he also hopes to support local businesses.

"Now that legalization is spreading across the country, there's a great opportunity to build a company that can help a lot of people," he adds. "I hope it gives social justice to those who are incarcerated for doing what we're now doing legally. I am also committed to have our crops farmed in an environmentally responsible way, to revitalize small farms and to grow it as clean as possible."

According to Khalatbari, Willie's Reserve has been meeting with small-batch growers, farmers and local businesses in Colorado, and these people will define Willie's brand.

"They're about empowering small business, about battling against the consolidation of the cannabis industry, which is something that's happening very rapidly in Colorado," Khalatbari explains.