EXCLUSIVE: Willie Nelson's 'Not Afraid of Death' – Inside 91-year-old Country Crooner's Health Crisis as He's Forced to Stop Smoking
Willie Nelson, 91, faces a health crisis and quits smoking while declaring he's not afraid of death.
July 24 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Weed buff Willie Nelson has been forced to give up his cannabis ritual because his lungs can't take the strain anymore, and RadarOnline.com can reveal it has made his life miserable because – medicine or not — dabs and edibles just don't cut it.
The country crooner, 92, has been the face of cannabis consumption in the U.S. for years. But, he's confessed in a new interview: "I can't smoke anymore. My lungs have already said, 'Don't do that.' So, I don't really do anything now much except a few edibles."
Willie's Health Troubles
Willie Nelson is giving up joints for his lungs' sake.
An insider reports: "He has munched edibles but it's not the same buzz and he finds them too fuzzy and too weird. He used to hold the joint in his hand like it was glued to his fingers in the past."
"He just can't inhale anymore. His lungs can't sustain any more smoke. He's been overdoing it a bit, but this doesn't mean he has to quit."
"It was a habit approached and relied on for years like Snoop Dogg. But now he's gone clean. So the spiritual health move past this moment may have made the decision for him."
He has battled emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in the past.
In 1981, he suffered a collapsed lung. He had trouble performing for years.
Trying To Stay Healthy
Past battles with emphysema pushed Nelson to finally ditch the smoke.
"He puts on a brave face, but he's not offering up anecdotes," continued the insider. "He wants to stay healthy and he's sick of missing the weed and that fog of serenity."
He's told the source he still thinks the good old doobie is in him.
"Ha! He's also going through withdrawals," the source revealed. "It's been in his rituals. He gets nervous and anxious sometimes."
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Edibles aren't cutting it as the 92-year-old star copes with life beyond the buzz.
"When he has weed, he doesn't need to be high to be high," said the insider.
"He was a motivating presence and people want to see him, but he's doing this for himself and his fans. He needs them as much as they need him."
