Oregon marijuana activists pursuing a ballot initiative that would legalize the drug have snagged a dream endorsement from one of the world's most famous pot users: Willie Nelson.

In an interview this week with The Oregonian, Nelson talked about his support for legalizing marijuana and revealed he's an Oregon medical marijuana patient. The country music legend summoned Oregon marijuana activist Paul Stanford to Las Vegas last week to help him complete the process of becoming an Oregon medical marijuana patient.

Stanford, 51, of Portland, owns THCF Medical Clinics, a chain in Oregon and nine other states that helps people who qualify get doctor referrals for marijuana. Stanford said he's previously helped members of Nelson's entourage obtain Oregon medical marijuana cards, and last week Nelson, who lives in Hawaii, asked for help getting one for himself.

It was during his visit with Nelson that Stanford asked the singer to publicly support a proposed initiative to legalize marijuana in Oregon. Nelson agreed to appear in a public service announcement in support of the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act initiative or OCTA.

Medical marijuana laws

Wearing a black baseball cap, Nelson urges Oregon voters to support the proposed ballot measure, which would legalize marijuana for people age 21 and older in Oregon, permit the sale of the drug through state-licensed stores, and allow commercial cultivation of marijuana and hemp plants.

"Let our criminal justice officers focus limited resources on real criminals and not on marijuana users like me," Nelson says.

Currently, Oregon law limits marijuana to medical use. People with a qualifying condition such as cancer, glaucoma or severe, chronic pain, can get a doctor recommendation for marijuana and obtain state approval for its use. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 55,949 people are in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.

The proposed initiative also would create a commission to license marijuana cultivation. The commission would then sell the drug at cost to pharmacies, medical research facilities and adults through state licensed stores. The initiative petition says 90 percent of the net proceeds would go into the state general fund, with the rest going toward drug education, treatment and hemp promotion.

Marijuana legalization is a hot political issue this year, with four states considering legalization measures. Colorado, Washington and Montana have ballot initiatives that would legalize marijuana for recreational use; Massachusetts voters will consider a medical marijuana measure this year, said Allen St. Pierre, executive director of NORML, a national group that advocates for legalizing marijuana.

Activists in a handful of other states, including Oregon, are trying to get legalization measures on their ballots.

Opponents of legalizing marijuana say efforts such as Stanford's won't eliminate the black market for the drug.

"Do we really think drug cartels who have been known to cut people's heads off will step in line and pay their taxes and business fees?" said Calvina Fay, executive director of the

, a Florida-based drug policy group.

Fay said regulating alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs has not kept people from abusing them.

In 1986, Oregon voters rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed the cultivation and possession of marijuana by adults older than 18. Twelve years later, voters approved the medical marijuana initiative.

Today 16 states and Washington, D.C., have laws permitting the use of medical marijuana. Five of those states – Michigan, Maine, Montana, Rhode Island and Arizona –will honor Oregon's medical marijuana card. Oregon is the only state to issue medical marijuana cards to out-of-state residents.

Teapot Party

Nelson, in his interview with The Oregonian, said he believes legalizing marijuana "makes sense from every standpoint." He said the government should treat marijuana the same way it does cigarettes and tobacco: tax and regulate it.

"I don't think it's wise to let the criminals make all the money when it's already been decided that medical use is positive," said Nelson, who suffers from chronic wrist and back pain. He added, "It should be a person's decision to decide what to put in his body."

Just a couple of weeks ago, Nelson said, federal authorities in Arizona seized marijuana from his tour bus during what he described as a routine check. He said the road manager showed authorities his medical marijuana patient card from Arizona.

"The local authorities said, 'OK, that's fine with us,'" Nelson said.

Nelson, who will turn 79 next month and serves on the advisory board of NORML, said marijuana legalization is "something I talk about almost daily."

"People ask me questions (about marijuana) all the time," Nelson said.

He said he was upset about his 2010 arrest in Texas for marijuana possession – "I felt it was uncalled for," he said –and decided to start the Teapot Party, which now has representatives in every state. The organization supports the legalization of marijuana.

So far, Oregon organizers have gotten 55,000 petition signatures, said Stanford, one of the chief petitioners. They need 87,213 valid signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot.

Stanford said national polling shows that Americans, especially young people, support easing marijuana restrictions, and he's hopeful Nelson's support will raise awareness about the proposed initiative among Oregonians.

"I would say he is the most famous cannabis user in the world," Stanford said.

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