Jamey Johnson is facing time behind bars after his recent arrest in Tennessee over the weekend – and it all appears to be over some weed.
The country music superstar was arrested on November 17 in Williamson County, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, for speeding and drug possession charges.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol issued a statement yesterday confirming the arrest:
“We can confirm that Jamey Johnson was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Williamson County. The incident is still under investigation.”
He was released from jail on a $5,000 bond (originally reported to be $500,000 but later corrected), but charges had not yet been filed so we didn’t know exactly what Johnson was accused of.
Well now we’re getting a little more information, and it looks like it’s all over some marijuana.
Williamson County court records reviewed by Whiskey Riff show the singer charged with one count of possession with intent to manufacture, deliver or sell a controlled substance. And the specific subsection of the law cited in his charges gives us even more information.
Johnson was charged with a violation of Tennessee Code 39-17-417 (G)(1). Subsection (G)(1) of the code deals with marijuana possession, and states that possession of between half an ounce to 10 pounds of marijuana is a Class E felony punishable by up to one to six years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.
He’s set to appear back in court on February 6, 2025 at 1 PM.
So to simplify it for those who aren’t lawyers: He could have landed behind bars for as little as half an ounce of weed.
What are we doing here?
Now obviously we don’t know exactly how much weed it was, just that it was alleged to be between half an ounce and 10 lbs. And Johnson has opened up about his sobriety journey recently, including his near-death experience with alcohol that led him to stop drinking for good while admitting recently that he still does use marijuana after taking a break in 2015.
According to an interview with Billboard:
“I think that lasted about eight years. Nine years. In that time period, it was all about sobriety. And with a sober mind, I’m able to do things like get a pilot’s license, manage a business, start a product line. I’m sober for the most part, but every now and then, I may still break out a joint if I’m writing or something like that. But I don’t play games with the alcohol.”
Johnson has recently been celebrating the release of his first studio album in 14 years, Midnight Gasoline, the sixth studio album of his career and his first since signing with Warner Music Nashville.
And one of the singles on the album, “Sober,” discusses his struggle with drugs and alcohol:
“If the body is a temple
I worked hard to keep the steeple
Spinning around
Then one day I heard the preacher say,
“Lord, it’s hard staying
Sober in this town…”
We’ve put in a request for the police reports surrounding Johnson’s arrest and will have more information for you as it’s made available. But if we’re really talking about felony charges for weed in 2024, it seems like there’s a better use for our resources out there.
Of course Williamson County, Tennessee is also where Darius Rucker was arrested earlier this year on two counts of simple possession, ultimately pleading no contest and being sentenced to probation.
So it sounds like if you want to do drugs in Middle Tennessee, the lesson is don’t go to Franklin.
H/T: www.whiskeyriff.com
