Cure for What Ails You

Willie Nelson grows cannabis empire with new line of CBD oil products

The small batch coffee will be available in September.

Courtesy photo

Whether it's a song about heartbreak or an eighth of his own brand of marijuana, Austin's own Willie Nelson always has the cure for what ails you. Beginning in September, Nelson is expanding his cannabis line to include one of the buzziest products in recent memory: CBD oil.

According to a release, Willie's Remedy, the CBD line of Nelson's Willie's Reserve, will first debut a whole bean, CBD-infused coffee to help perk up your morning. The small batch roast will be infused with oil naturally derived from American-grown, organic hemp. When brewed, an 8-ounce cup of Willie's Remedy carries about 5 milligrams of CBD oil.

"It's two of my favorites, together in the perfect combination," says Nelson in a release. "Like coffee, cannabis is a plant that works for me." The coffee is set to launch in September in Colorado. According to a representative, the brand plans to roll out additional CBD products sometime this year.

In addition to music, education about the cannabis plant has been a large part of Nelson's lengthy career. With Willie's Reserve, which sells marijuana, accessories, and edibles in states where pot is legal, Nelson is monetizing the regulatory and social shifts happening in places like Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and California. Now, says the singer, it's time to focus on hemp.

"Hemp production was suppressed in America because hemp was competitive to too many industries. The country probably missed some opportunity during hemp prohibition," says Nelson. "But another way to look at it is that hemp is the answer to [a] huge range of challenges we're facing right now. Allowing commercial hemp farming will create jobs for the farmers."

Nelson also hopes to use his CBD line to educate consumers on the benefits of THC-free products. Though it is a derivative of the cannabis plant, CBD carries many of the same benefits as marijuana, but without THC, users don't have the psychoactive or "high" effects.

The launch of Willie's Remedy comes just months after Willie's Reserve made its debut in April. That line includes Willie's Reserve Legendary Stash of packaged flowers and pre-rolled joints. In true Nelson fashion, the Red Headed Stranger tests all of his products, which are cultivated on independent farms in small batches, using only organic inputs.

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What Gives?

12 ways to give back during Austin's 2024 holiday season

Photo from Mobile Loaves & Fishes Facebook page.

A helpful elf from last year's Mobile Loaves & Fishes' Community First! Village of Lights & Holiday Market.

For many people, the holidays are a time of gifts and merriment; for others, this time of year is a stark reminder of how tough things are. Austinites who have the time and resources to help out might be thinking about volunteering this holiday season. And there are tons of volunteer opportunities around Austin.

One initiative to get momentum going is Giving Tuesday, a global day of action and donation on December 3 that helps people organize by region and cause. Amplify Austin, a nonprofit database, offers some local tips here. But CultureMap's list below goes beyond Tuesday.

We've sifted through many local nonprofits and drives and picked out 12 awesome organizations that are currently open to donations and volunteers this holiday season, helping local humans and animals alike.

Austin Farm Sanctuary co-owner Chris Fuller-Wigg with one of the farms' many rescued cows. Photo from austinfarmsanctuary.org.

Austin Farm Sanctuary
1165 Old Pin Oak Rd.
Paige, Texas
Austin Farm Sanctuary (AFS) is about an hour outside of Austin. AFS rescues farm animals from neglectful or dangerous situations and provides them with a safe forever home, with 95 acres of sprawling fields and pastures. Their 240 rescued residents need a lot of care, and AFS is looking for volunteers and donations. More info at austinfarmsanctuary.org.

Austin Public Library
Various branches
Austinites who are passionate about literacy and access to information can help protect those rights via the Austin Public Library system. There are lots of ways to help out, and the library emphasizes that its best volunteers "enjoy interacting with the general public and providing great customer service." A full list of open volunteer positions is available at library.austintexas.gov.

Austin Pets Alive!
1156 West Cesar Chavez
Austin is one of the largest no-kill cities in the US, which means a lot of work for our local animal shelters. APA! is always looking for volunteers and supplies, especially in the winter months when it gets cold. If you're an animal lover, there are many ways to volunteer your time, foster an animal, or donate money and supplies to the shelter during the holiday season.

Caritas of Austin
611 Neches St.
Caritas of Austin has a mission to end homelessness and make sure people have a safe home, healthy groceries, jobs that provide a reliable living wage, and educational opportunities. Volunteers can help by serving lunch at their community kitchen, providing administrative support for staff members, and helping with donation deliveries and pick-ups, which tend to amp up over the holidays. Volunteers need to sign up online first.

Coats for Kids
Junior League of Austin Impact Center
5330 Bluffstone Lane
From December 2-11, The Junior League of Austin (JLA) is holding its 38th annual Coats for Kids distribution. This annual donation drive provides more than 30,000 warm winter coats to children in need in Central Texas. You can help by donating money, coats, or your time. Learn more at jlaustin.org.

Inside Books Project
3106 East 14 1/2 St
The mission of this Austin-based organization is to send free reading materials to the incarcerated people of Texas. The org also publishes resource guides and short-form instructional pamphlets for incarcerated folks. You can help Texas' only books-to-prisoners program by reading inmates' book requests, selecting books for them, and putting together packages of books. You can either volunteer in-person or simply help by donating books.

The crew from Keep Austin Beautiful Day 2019. Photo from keepaustinbeautiful.org

Keep Austin Beautiful
55 N IH 35 Frontage Rd
Keep Austin Beautiful (KAB) is one of the better-known outdoor volunteer programs in the city; Austinites have probably seen their volunteer groups cleaning up local parks or providing educational programs. Getting involved is easy; there's no need for an orientation. Volunteers will simply sign up online and show up for their shift.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes
9301 Hog Eye Rd Suite 950
Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) is a local Christian social outreach ministry, whose goal is to provide affordable, permanent housing and community for folks coming out of homelessness. It operates the Community First! Village, one of the city's leading initiatives to providing affordable and sustainable housing. MLF has a variety of volunteer options including group serve days, helping out at the village, or virtual actions from home. More information at mlf.org.

Operation Blue Santa
The Austin Police Department's Operation Blue Santa started back in 1972, when a couple of police officers discovered that some families in their district didn't have gifts or food for their children during the holidays. The program began with these two officers distributing gifts to about 20 families, and for more 50 years the program has continued, now supporting more than 5,000 local families. Austinites can help by collecting and dropping off toys at one of many locations around town.

Out Youth
909 E 49th 1/2 St
Out Youth has been providing a safe space for Austin's youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities for more than 30 years now. This local organization provides a Youth Drop-In Program for kids and young adults of all ages to socialize, receive support, and even participate in workshops. It also has a library full of LGTBQIA+ literature and media, and year-round events. Volunteers can help by spreading the word about Out Youth, donating, or working directly on in-person projects. Volunteer capacity may be affected by the temporary closure of the organization's community center after a bad water leak, but that's all the more reason for volunteers to check in.

Toys for Tots
Various drop-off locations
Toys for Tots collects new, unwrapped toys throughout October, November, and part of December, in order to deliver Christmas gifts to kids who otherwise wouldn't receive them. Austinites can help by donating new, unused toys at one of many drop-off locations throughout the city or donating funds online.

SAFE Alliance
3706 South 1st Street
SAFE Alliance is a partnership between SafePlace and the Austin Children's Shelter, and its mission is to "stop abuse for everyone by serving the survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence." Volunteers can help by putting together SAFE Kits and Activity Boxes, or providing meals for survivors at the SAFE Cares drop in center. More information at safeaustin.org.

volunteering nature kids families lgbtqia+homelessness animals