Willie Nelson says he's not smoking, still using pot

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Willie Nelson may have given up smoking, but he hasn’t stopped using marijuana.

While in San Antonio last week for two performances, the 86-year-old country music legend told KSAT TV that in an effort to take better care of himself, he no longer smokes.

Nelson, a longtime marijuana advocate, said he “started smoking cedar bark, went from that to cigarettes to whatever.”

Nelson, who owns a company that sells marijuana products, says: “I have abused my lungs quite a bit in the past, so breathing is a little more difficult these days and I have to be careful.”

His spokeswoman, Elaine Schock, told The Associated Press in an email Wednesday that Nelson hasn’t given up cannabis, and she points out there are different ways to consume it.

“That said,” she said “Willie does what he wants, when he wants, when it comes to smoking.”

One thing though Nelson won’t be giving up is touring.

“I love the bus,” he said. “This is my home.”

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This story has been corrected to show that the spelling of the spokeswoman’s last name is Schock.