WILLIE NELSON, COMPANIONS CITED FOR MARIJUANA, PSYCHEDELLIC MUSHROOMS

LAFAYETTE -- Country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson was cited
on drug counts in St. Martin Parish after a traffic stop of his tour
bus Monday allegedly yielded more than a pound of marijuana and a bag
of psychedelic mushrooms.

Nelson, 73, and four others traveling with him face misdemeanor
charges of possession of Schedule I drugs, State Police spokesman
Trooper Willie Williams said.

Williams said officers found 1 1/2 pounds of marijuana and two-tenths
of a pound of hallucinogenic mushrooms on the tour bus during a
traffic stop for a commercial vehicle inspection on Interstate 10
westbound near Breaux Bridge.

"When the door was opened and the trooper began to speak to the
driver, he smelled the strong odor of marijuana in the bus," State
Police said in a news release.

The amount of drugs allegedly found could have resulted in felony
drug counts, but Williams said the marijuana was considered for
personal use "because all of the people on the bus claimed possession of it."

St. Martin Parish prosecutor Chester Cedars said the marijuana was
allegedly found stashed in locations throughout the tour bus, giving
credence to the Nelson entourage's argument the drugs were only for
personal use.

Asked if he was surprised to learn Monday morning about the notable
traffic stop, Cedars said, "Nothing surprises me any more," but
added, "I don't think anyone was surprised."

Also cited were: [redacted]

All were free to go after being issued citations.

"There was no trouble whatsoever," Williams said of the incident.

Nelson was passing through Louisiana after a Sunday night gig in
Montgomery, Ala., with Ray Price -- most likely returning to his
ranch in Spicewood, Texas.

Nelson has made no secret of his marijuana use and serves on the
advisory board of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

NORML founder and legal counsel Keith Stroup said Monday that he has
sent a note to Nelson's management offering legal help. "We were
certainly sad to see Willie was arrested," Stroup said.

"His was one of 786,000 arrests on marijuana charges last year, which
indicates many people would like to see marijuana decriminalized."

Nelson and his crew could face up to six months in jail and a $500
fine if convicted on the drug counts.

Cedars said Nelson will be treated no differently from anyone else
who comes through his office.

"We'll process them like we do any other case," he said.

Nelson's publicist was contacted for a response to the arrest but had
not responded as of 6 p.m.