In his new documentary, the oldest living US president, Jimmy Carter (95), CONFIRMED Willie Nelson was smoking cannabis on the roof of the White House. Better yet, one of his own sons went to the roof with him!
Released on September 9 this year, Carter’s documentary — Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President — exposes his son James Earl “Chip” Carter III as the mysterious pot-buddy of the famous musician Willie Nelson during his rooftop cannabis session back in 1980.
Ever since the story first came out in 1988 in Nelson’s autobiography — Willie: An Autobiography — rumors swirled about the true identity of the “member of the Carter administration” who, as per Nelson, accompanied him for a “torpedo” on the roof.
The anecdote came back into focus with this new documentary dealing with the relationship of the former president with the music industry and contemporary music superstars like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and the Allman Brothers.
Today, with the impending legalization wave of 2021, the general public has changed its view on cannabis. As a result, we finally know who else was “leaning on a flagpole” while sharing ”a big fat Austin torpedo” as written in Nelson’s book.
And as the cannabis decriminalization movement gains momentum, let’s remind ourselves that back in 1977, Jimmy Carter was the first-ever president to evoke marijuana decriminalization in front of the Senate formally.
Anyway, even in today’s confusing cannabis politics, a president’s son lighting one up in the White House would be scandalous; let alone 40 years ago. Hence, Nelson’s “discretion” was more than understandable.
Still, now that Carter got the word out, will it rekindle the debate surrounding the “cannabis question?” We’ll have to wait and see.
Marija is a content writer, biochemist, and communications associate for several nonprofit organizations. After earning her bachelor’s, she worked as a scientific writer before engaging in the world of nonprofits—first as an English translator and an activist, and later, as head of communications. In content writing, she finds the perfect stimulus for her curiosity and aptitude for research, as well as a way to deploy her linguistic creativity for the purpose of better understanding.