Willie Nelson is planning his own brand of weed, spokesman says

Willie Nelson is reportedly planning to put his seal of approval -- in the form of his name -- on a product near to his heart: marijuana.

And not just any weed. Willie’s Reserve, as it’s to be called, is intended to be “something that’s reflective of his passion” for cannabis, a spokesman for the start-up brand told the Daily Beast in an interview that was later retweeted by Nelson’s verified Twitter account.

“It was developed by his family, and their focus on environmental and social issues, and in particular this crazy war on drugs, and trying to be a bright light amongst this trail as we’re trying to extract ourselves from the goo of prohibition,” said Michael Bowman, a longtime hemp and pot lobbyist who’s known the singer for years and is currently serving as company spokesman.

“Really he wants it, at the end of the day, to envelop what his personal morals and convictions are,” Bowman told the website.

Nelson, 81, let the news slip to the Beast at his annual one-day Heartbreaker Banquet music festival held around South by Southwest time near his home outside Austin, Texas.

The plan, Bowman said, is to set up shop -- yup, stores -- starting this calendar year in states where marijuana is legal, and to carry brands from environmentally responsible producers along with the Willie’s Reserve.

So let the other celebs keep their perfumes, their websites and their clothing lines. Shotgun Willie clearly knows his way around this lifestyle brand.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.