Willie Nelson launches his cannabis brand Willie's Reserve: from country to weed

It's one of the things we're most looking forward to in 2016. Country legend Willie Nelson is taking on the U.S. marijuana market with his own brand of cannabis, the Willie's Reserve. The country music legend is working with private investors to get into the industry quickly.

Tuatara Capital, a New York-based private equity fund, announced in September 2015 its partnership with Willie Nelson, Nelson, 81, known for songs such as «Always on my mind», «On the road again» and «Roll me up and smoke me when I die», and for his penchant for weed. The partnership will see Tuatara Capital lead a group of investors to finance the development of the recreational cannabis brand in Nelson's name.

The brand will initially be marketed in Colorado and Washington, states where recreational cannabis is legal. Local businesses in these states will grow, distribute and sell Willie's Reserve according to the brand's specifications and quality standards. Willie Nelson has always supported American farmers and the local industry. He is concerned about the interest of large financial groups in the cannabis industry. Privateer Holdings has negotiated with Bob Marley's family to use his image and name for their products, and has bought a 6000m² farm in Canada to grow his weed, far from Willie Nelson's «quality standards».

The partnership with Willie Nelson marks the first investment for Tuatara, which launched in 2014. The company, which focuses on cannabis-related topics, is run by two veterans of investment firms. Snoop Dogg, director of the Casa Verde Capital fund, also called on investment funds to launch his site and his Leafs brand of weed.

The recreational cannabis market is set to continue expanding in the US this year, with the California legalization on the horizon. Some projections estimate this market at 11 billion $ in revenues in 2019. Enough to understand the successive launches of Snoop Dogg and Tommy Chong in this gigantic market.