Long-haired country crooner Willie Nelson's Teapot Party endorsed Republican presidential candidate Gary Johnson on Tuesday. (Update: Nelson said on Thursday that he's committed to supporting Dennis Kucinich.)

Johnson, the first presidential candidate Teapot Party has endorsed, got the nod because of his views on legalizing marijuana.

The former governor of New Mexico, who previously admitted to smoking pot for medicinal purposes, supported legalizing the drug when he was governor. Since he’s been out of office, he has continued to speak out for marijuana reform. Johnson said, “I advocate legalizing marijuana – control it, regulate, tax it” during the Republican debate on May 5 in South Carolina.

Going by Johnson’s outspokenness about the drug – he once joked that he never exhaled – it comes as no surprise that he happily accepted the thumbs up from Nelson's party.

In a press release issued on the Teapot Party’s site, Johnson said: “I am truly gratified to have the endorsement of such an iconic entertainer, philanthropist, innovator and champion for individual rights as Willie Nelson. …Not only is he a superstar talent, he is a bold advocate for social change. Americans are demanding the freedom and opportunity to pursue their dreams without interference from a heavy-handed government, and Willie Nelson lends a tremendous voice to those demands.”

Nelson’s voice only got more tremendous after he was arrested for pot possession last November. Instead of issuing an apology, the then-77-year-old immediately founded the Teapot Party, dedicated to taxing, regulating and legalizing marijuana.

The Teapot Party also recently endorsed Washington State Rep. Roger Goodman, who is running for Congress in 2012.

Nelson fans probably won’t be too surprised by these endorsements. After all, they’ve stood by the Red Headed Stranger in the past when he performed with another marijuana advocate, Snoop Dogg.