By MARIA SHERMAN, AP Music Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Young musicians looking for longevity would be wise to follow the sensible word of Willie Nelson: Do what feels right, and if you’re lucky enough to have a statue built in your honor in your city, remember that it is just something you’ve “got to go down and clean off the pigeon (expletive) every now and then.”

On Friday, Nelson, who is 91, released “Last Leaf on the Tree,” his second studio album this year — also his 76th solo studio album and 153rd album overall, according to Texas Monthly’s herculean ranking his prolific discography. So how many more does he have in him? Nelson laughs into the phone, “I don’t know. I hope there’s a few more.” Maybe he’ll hit 200? “Why not!”

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

Mother’s Day is pretty much here, and we know you’d never forget to shower your mom with love and affection on her big day. But just in case you’re stumped for gift ideas, we’ve got a round-up of lovely, practical, relaxing weed accessories that are perfect for cool moms everywhere.

Below $40

Edie Parker Grinder & Storage Case

If your cannabis-loving mom is on Instagram, chances are high that she’s pining for something from the super-fashionable flower accessory brand, Edie Parker. Make her dreams come true with this handy dandy grinder, which comes in six super-juicy color combos. $15 from Edie Parker.

Broccoli Magazine Subscription

For moms who love to read with their weed, check out Broccoli Magazine. It’s quirky, thoughtful, and fun—ie, the ideal reading material for a stony afternoon. A subscription buys mom two issues, one in April and one in October, of this coffee-table-worthy publication. $39 from Broccoli.

Kush Queen CBD Bath Bomb

With this fizzy chamomile, sandalwood, and lavender-scented CBD bath bomb, you’ll have mom saying, “Kush Queen, take me away!” Designed for maximum relaxation, these bath bombs are made from cannabinoids, essential oils, and pure olive oil, and they’re available in three dosages, including CBD and CBD/THC. $16 from Kush Queen.

Tetra Queue Stick Lighter

Trust this elder millennial mother of two when she tells you this: Your mom would love a lighter that looks exactly like a tube of Great Lash Mascara. This one, from Tetra, is a big step up from her usual Bic, and since it’s so unique, no one will dare snatch it from her. $30 from Tetra.

Blazy Susan Shorty Pink Pre-Rolled Cones

Why roll one joint for your dear old mom when you can roll her a dozen? With these pre-rolled cones, Mom will be smoking in style in no time. The 53mm size is perfect for a little of ‘me time’ Mom so desperately needs, and most importantly, they’re pink! Just load ‘em up and go! $4.99 from Blazy Susan.

Chill Mode Cannabis Seed Oil Eye Gels

These moisturizing eye patches made with cannabis sativa seed oil and tea leaves will have Mom’s tired eyes feeling blissed out in no time. These are perfect for in-flight wearing. Instead of the usual slightly scary post-flight puffy face, Mom will be radiant and refreshed, ready to hit the ground running. $15 from Patchology.

Edibles: Small Bites for the Modern Cannabis Kitchen

Mom loves cooking with herbs, so you know she’ll love cooking with her favorite herb of all. Packed with recipes for the cannabis-curious cook, “Edibles: Small Bites for the Modern Cannabis Kitchen” is a great place to start for folks who are new to cooking with cannabis. $18.55 from Bookshop.org.

$40 and above

The Grateful Dead x G Pen Dash Vaporizer

If Mom’s a total Head then you can bet she’ll be stoked to cop this Grateful Dead-emblazoned vaporizer from G Pen. Lightweight and relatively discrete (as discreet as something with a Stealie on it can be), the Dash fits neatly in Mom’s pocket, and unlike you, she’ll actually remember to take it out before doing laundry. $49.95 (Sale Price) from G Pen. 

Pure Beauty Sativa Babies

Mom loves all her babies, but if you force her to choose a favorite, she just might pick these pre-rolled Sativa baby joints from Pure Beauty. Each 3.5g joint is pre-rolled with a Cali-grown tropical-tasting Sativa blend for Mom’s enjoyment. $50 from Pure Beauty.

G Pen Micro+

Give Mom a head start on “Oil Day” July 10 with this leading low-profile affordable dab pen. The number “710” spells “oil” upside down. Just scoop in a gram of extract like a live resin glob, and grip it and rip it for big clouds, and tons of flavor and effect in a tiny package. $74.95 from Grenco.

Wandering Bud Bubble Collection Nebula

Is it a pipe? Is it art? It’s both, my friends, and Mother, a lover of beautiful things, deserves to add this bubble-glazed nebula pipe to her collection. The pipe is designed for your fingers to rest comfortably in the grooves, whether your right-handed or left-handed, making this an ideal equal-opportunity bowl for entertaining a crowd. $90.00 from Wandering Bud.

$100 and up

The Nesting Set From Gossamer

Your mom is a master at mutli-tasking, and so is this nesting set. It includes a one-hitter, a pipe, and an ashtray, all in an eye-candy jadeite colorway that any mom would love. Mom can keep it neat and discreet by packing up everything under the set’s lid, or display it proudly on the coffee table for all to admire. $110 from Gossamer.

Snugbox Celestial Stash Box

Mom loves it when everything is put away nicely, so give her a beautiful caboodle for her stash. The super luxe ultra-suede wrapped stash box includes two locks for maximum security and allows mom to charge her devices while they’re safely stowed. Best of all, this smell-proof beauty can pass even Mom’s sniff test. $159.00 from Snugbox.

Stündenglass Kompact Gravity Infuser

Mom’s book club is about to get way more lit with this modern version of a gravity bong from Stundenglass. You load the water, load the weed, flip the tumbler and smoke blasts into your face. The smaller “Kompact” gravity infuser comes in pink, and is going to infuse your couch with gravity, so don’t make big plans. $599.95 from Stundenglass.

And that’s 14 weedy ideas to get you started thinking about how to honor and celebrate the cool moms who smoke in your life. Time’s running low, so get on it now.

These might not be the “top” ten, but you should read these ten fiction books when stoned. Cannabis and reading have a long history together. While some find it hard to focus on a sentence or two for more than a minute, others find it difficult not to combine these two activities.

Consider how expressive the pictures in your head become when stoned. It’s one of cannabis’ most remarkable features: increasing the vividness and detail of your mind’s eye.

So if you can concentrate on the words (or follow along with an audiobook), grab that joint, pipe, vape, or edible. However you consume cannabis, here’s a list of ten books you oughta read when stoned.

Ten Fiction Books to Read When Stoned

10 – Never Go Back by Lee Child

Topping our list is an easy-to-read thriller from cannabis connoisseur Lee Child. In Never Go Back, ex-army cop Jack Reacher attempts to clear his name from false accusations. If this plot sounds familiar, Hollywood adapted to the big screen in 2016, starring Tom Cruise. 

Forget the movie. The cliche is true: the book is better. A thousand times better. The dialogue is snappy, and the narrative is like a pulse. Jack Reacher reasons his way through the conspiracy using his heightened senses and introspective thought – as if he were stoned. 

Is it surprising that author Lee Child uses cannabis as a creative muscle? You can almost sense the effect cannabis has in the opening pages, as the Reacher character describes his hotel room and an approaching town car. 

9 – Misery by Stephen King

It’s tough to pick a Stephen King novel for two reasons. There are so many good ones (The Shining, Pet Cemetery, and 11/22/63 are all good runner-ups). But many good ones have terrible endings (IT, The Stand, Under the Dome). King is known for psychological horror (and his embarrassing Twitter feed), but “deus ex machina” should be at the top of his resume.

That said, King doesn’t botch every ending he has. And in Misery, he leaves the reader satisfied. Whether or not you’ve seen the movie (one of the good adaptions of King’s work and a decent film in its own right), this book is still worth picking up. 

The psychological depths of captivity and obsession, the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere – paired with some cannabis – is one hell of an experience. If you’re anything like me, you’ll read the entire book in one sitting, going to bed at 2 am because you can’t put it down.

Fiction Books to Read When Stoned

8 – VALIS by Philip K Dick

Is it possible to read VALIS without any brain-altering substances? It doesn’t even seem like Philip K. Dick wrote this sober. 

In VALIS, Dick takes on a mind-bending exploration of reality, identity, and divine revelation. It covers complex themes and philosophical inquiries. If you don’t read while stoned, you should ponder the ideas presented in this book once you’ve taken a few puffs from your joint.

A little cannabis can go a long way in broadening this novel’s metaphysical journey. I’ve read it myself multiple times, and I always get something more from it with each read. As to the plot… well, you’re probably best to start smoking and reading. See how far you get.

7 – Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

For a club you’re not supposed to talk about, everybody seems to be aware of it. At least, the movie starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. There are few differences between the book and the film, but you should still check out the source material if you’re a fan.

Like the movie, Fight Club takes readers on a wild ride satirizing consumer culture and societal rebellion. Cannabis may enhance your connection to the story’s raw emotions and underlying messages. Or you can enjoy the surface-level violence and drama.

Whatever your interest, if you enjoy the movie, you owe it to yourself to read Palahniuk’s book. (Although we also recommend Invisible Monsters and Choke).

6 – Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson 

A list comprising books to read when stoned requires Fear & Loathing. It’s not an option. When I started this list, Fear and Loathing appeared at #6. Like someone else copied and pasted it.  

In all seriousness, the characters in this book are smoking cannabis. You’ll feel too much like a spectator not to join the fun. 

Besides, this book is a rollicking adventure through Las Vegas, looking for the American Dream while high, stoned, drunk, and on nearly every drug there is.

If all you’re doing is smoking cannabis, you will look like a lightweight compared to the two main characters in this story. Consider the very first line in the novel: “We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.”

Oh, wait, novel? Fiction? Perhaps this book doesn’t belong on this list since this adventure more or less happened in real life.

Fiction Books to Read When Stoned

5 – Factotum by Charles Bukowski

If you’re not much of a poetry guy, smoke that joint and pull up some Charles Bukowski. Try “On the Hustle,” “Law,” “Bluebird,” “The Laughing Heart,” or “The Genius of the Crowd.” See if he wins you over.

But for novels? While Post Office or Women may get all the praise, Factotum may be his most relatable work. The novel offers a gritty, unfiltered look into the fictionalized version of the writer’s life as he bounces around the country, working different menial jobs for low pay.

A notorious drinker and no fan of cannabis, Bukowski’s work may not be on your radar. But it’s worth a read if you like a realistic, gritty look at the American working class. While some may shy away from a novel that lacks a coherent beginning, middle, or end, this book rewards the journey rather than the destination. 

4 – The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein 

If you love cannabis and sci-fi and haven’t read Robert Heinlein – where have you been?! A 20th-century sci-fi author, Heinlein’s works are full of political intrigue and social critics. For this list, it was a toss-up between Moon and Stranger in a Strange Land.

In the end, though, we went for Moon mainly because it’s a futuristic tale of revolution and liberty against a backdrop of lunar colonization. 

Moon is the quintessential libertarian sci-fi novel. One of the characters is a “rational anarchist,” whose philosophy should resonate with every cannabis consumer who’s lived under prohibition (so all of us, in other words).

I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

Fiction Books to Read When Stoned

3 – Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 

When I was young and fresh out of state-mandated schooling, I was pretty left-wing, as most Canadians are. It’s one of the main reasons why governments love monopolizing education. It stems from the Prussian example of taking children from their parents and indoctrinating them to love the state.

So how did I break free of the statist cult? Was it visiting impoverished Cuba thinking I would walk into some socialist paradise? Partly. 

Was it watching the big, corrupt banks get bailed out with taxpayer money in 2008? Also, yes.

But the journey really started the summer after I graduated high school and read Catch-22. This book is considered a satirical masterpiece for a reason. The novel’s dark humor and non-linear narrative align nicely with the thought-provoking effects of cannabis. 

Catch-22 explores the paradoxes of human existence humorously. It also satirizes bureaucracy and war. It is hands-down one of the best books to read when stoned. Hell, it’s one of the best books ever.

2 – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 

If you haven’t read this when stoned, then what are you waiting for? If you need an audiobook, look no further than the hilarious narration by Stephen Fry.

This whimsical and satirical tale of space travel provides absurdity and philosophical pondering, which pair nicely with cannabis. The book encourages the reader to embrace their sense of wonder and innocence. 

From quirky characters to existential musings, pairing Hitchhiker with cannabis is bound to create a mind-expanding experience as vast as the cosmos itself.

Best Fiction Book to Read When Stoned

1 – The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson 

If this book weren’t number one, you’d have every right to send me angry e-mails and death threats. I don’t think I’ve ever read this trilogy without cannabis. I’m not sure if you’re allowed to.

Sure, this novel contains unconventional narratives and eccentric characters (with some characters becoming others halfway through the first novel). There’s also sex, violence, adventure, lost ancient history, and spiels about political philosophies. 

But don’t let its strangeness scare you away or have you re-reading the same page for thirty minutes. Just go with the flow. 

It’s a big trilogy with big ideas. You don’t have to memorize every page. Just consume some cannabis and allow the authors to immerse you into an intricate tale of mystery and intrigue, complete with unconventional thought patterns and conspiracies.

As for the plot… it’s about a detective investigating the Illuminati. That’s all you need to know. Now go read it! 

Ten Fiction Books to Read When Stoned

Those are ten fiction books to read when stoned. Are these the top ten fiction books of all time? Of course not. I wouldn’t even list “Never Go Back” as the best Reacher book or “Factotum” as Bukowski’s best.

But are these books pure, fun, entertaining reads to enjoy with some THC cannabis? You bet.

As well, reading is relaxing. Are you feeling a little anxious? Stressed? Or maybe just bored with what’s on Netflix.

Take a break. Spark that bowl, and relax with one of these books. You’ll be glad you did.