Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Willie Nelson Has Post-Thanksgiving Wake, Bake, Arrest
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 27, 2010
Modified Nov 27, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 27, 2010
Modified Nov 27, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
One of everyone's two favorite marijuana enthusiasts, Willie Nelson, was arrested early yesterday morning by US Border Patrol officers in Texas on suspicion of marijuana possession...and by suspicion, we mean the 6 ounces of pot found in his trailer. A patrol spokesman said officers smelled marijuana wafting from the vehicle when they stopped it at a checkpoint around 9 a.m. To his credit, the vehicle may just smell like that permanently at this point.
Or maybe he just needs a boost for tackling those delicious Thanksgiving leftovers. Nelson was briefly arrested, but soon let go on a bond. At least we all know we can trust that Willie genuinely loves and supports pot, unlike the notorious Times Square Weed Man. Despite asking for handouts via a hand-made sign reading, “I NEED MONEY FOR WEED!”, for the better part of the last year outside of Planet Hollywood, it turns out that midtown mainstay Joshua Long doesn't actually smoke! If we can't believe a man who says he's panhandling for pot, who can we believe? But Long does claim to put away $200 during a four- or five-hour shift, which he is putting toward a real estate career. So would he not make as much money without the weed-factor? We admit, we would probably rather give money to someone asking for weed than a would-be real estate mogul.
Tagged
marijuana
panhandling
pot
Times Square
weed
weed man
willie nelson
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Remote learning day for NYC schools means remote chance of learning, parents say
The remote day kicked off with a familiar ritual that began in the pandemic: kids struggling to log on.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 3:23 p.m. ET
MTA posts record riders over Halloween, marathon week
The numbers highlight the MTA’s continuing post-pandemic recovery as it has campaigned to get people back on the trains after the COVID pandemic.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
MTA posts record riders over Halloween, marathon week
The numbers highlight the MTA’s continuing post-pandemic recovery as it has campaigned to get people back on the trains after the COVID pandemic.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Floyd Bennett Field gets $10M for project to reopen historic hangars
By
Rosemary Misdary
Trump administration sends election monitors to NYC, NJ
By
Catalina Gonella
Child dies in raging Upstate New York measles outbreak
By
Caroline Lewis
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .