stillisstillmoving.com

 

(Thanks to Dee/Willietattoos for sending me this link.)

Ray Benson
Asleep at the Wheel:

“The point is that I try to nurture other bands, because I wouldn’t be where I am without the people who helped us, people like Willie Nelson, Commander Cody, Van Morrison.”

This is from a great interview with Ray Benson, leader and inspiration behind Asleep at the Wheel, in Texas Monthly, and you can read the entire interview at  
http://www.texasmonthly.com/2007-10-01/talks-1.php .

Here’s a little taste:

If the president knew that you’re getting ready today to play a benefit for the legalization of marijuana, do you think he’d have you back at the White House?

Don’t know. But I just want to be honest about it. The numbers are ridiculous. A large percentage of federal prisoners are in for marijuana. We’re wasting billions of dollars. In big cities, marijuana is as expensive as gold—$400, $500, $600 an ounce. I was doing a panel one time with Michael Dell. Someone asked me, “Why did all those musicians move to Austin in the early seventies?” I said, “Well, rent was cheap and pot was cheap.” Dell looked at me like, “Ugh. Cross him off the list. If I need a minyan, maybe I’ll call him.”

He must be crossing Willie off the list too.

Willie, my best pal, has taken such heat on this, including being arrested a number of times. He said, “Will you do this [benefit]?” I said, “Yeah, of course.” I smoked marijuana off and on for forty years. My health is fabulous. My mental state is fabulous. I believe I’ve been a constructive father and community leader. I do not advocate the use of marijuana. All I’m saying is that the laws are ridiculous. Is it any worse than alcohol? No. So put it in the same category as alcohol. Tax it. Regulate it. And let’s get on with it.

Obviously it hasn’t stunted your growth.

That’s the other thing. Three years ago, the University of Massachusetts Amherst applied for a permit to study marijuana’s medicinal effects. And the government wouldn’t grant it. How are you supposed to know? I think it’s stupid. Prohibition didn’t work on alcohol; it ain’t going to work on marijuana. All it does is make criminals rich and put good people in jail.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 8:11 pm and is filed under Interviews, Other Artists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.