Jamey Johnson Arrested: Traffic Stop, Felony Charge, and Case Status

Country singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson was arrested on the night of November 17, 2024, in Williamson County, Tennessee, after a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled him over for speeding on Interstate 65 and reported finding marijuana in his vehicle.¹ He was charged with speeding and with felony possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell, released the next day on a $5,000 bond, and scheduled for a February 6, 2025 hearing in Williamson County.²

The Traffic Stop

Shortly before 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 17, 2024, a trooper clocked Johnson at 87 mph in a 70 mph zone on I-65 North. According to the trooper, Johnson acknowledged the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, saying he had “been around marijuana.”¹ A search turned up several Ziploc bags of marijuana and more than ten pre-rolled joints.³

The Charges and What They Mean

Johnson was charged with speeding, a Class C misdemeanor, and with possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell, a Class E felony under Tennessee Code § 39-17-417.³ Court filings alleged the amount recovered fell between half an ounce and ten ounces, the range that triggers a felony intent charge under Tennessee law.⁴ A conviction on the felony count carries up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.²

Bond on the possession charge was set at $5,000, and Johnson was released from the Williamson County jail the day after his arrest.⁵

The “intent” language in the charge does not necessarily mean prosecutors allege Johnson was selling. Under the Tennessee statute, possession of half an ounce or less is a misdemeanor; once the quantity crosses that line, the felony intent charge can be brought on the weight alone.⁴

Back On Stage Three Days Later

Johnson performed at the 2024 CMA Awards on November 20, three days after being booked. He sang George Strait’s “Give It Away” as part of an all-star tribute for Strait’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Parker McCollum, and Lainey Wilson.⁶ The arrest was not mentioned during the broadcast. Rolling Stone called the performance a “plainspoken but swaggering rendition” and said Johnson “sounded invigorated and triumphant.”⁷

Jelly Roll wore a shirt from Johnson’s official merchandise line to the ceremony, a gesture widely read as public support.⁸

What Johnson Had Said About Marijuana

In a Billboard interview published earlier in November 2024, Johnson had described himself as “sober for the most part,” pointing to his decision to stop drinking in September 2011 and to quit smoking marijuana in 2015. He said he stayed off it for close to nine years before resuming during a songwriting trip in the Bahamas for his album Midnight Gasoline, after a friend left a joint in an ashtray and he decided to smoke it. “They came in like a flood after that,” he said of the songs that followed.⁹ He added that “every now and then, I may still break out a joint if I’m writing,” while contrasting marijuana with alcohol, which he said “led me down a dark path of self-destruction.”¹⁰

Where the Case Stands

Williamson County court records showed Johnson scheduled for a hearing on February 6, 2025.² Representatives for Johnson did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment following the arrest, and no defense statement has been reported publicly.³ No trial, plea, or dismissal has been publicly disclosed in the available reporting. Johnson married attorney Brittney Eakins on May 20, 2025, in Franklin, Tennessee, while the case remained pending, and he has continued to tour.¹¹

Why the Charge Was a Felony in Tennessee

Tennessee is one of the strictest states in the country on marijuana. As of late 2025, it was one of only ten states prohibiting both recreational and medicinal use.¹² A proposed Tennessee Cannabis Act that would have decriminalized possession of up to 60 grams for adults 21 and older failed in a House subcommittee in April 2025 by a 2-to-7 vote.¹³ For comparison, country star Darius Rucker was arrested in the same county in February 2024 after a stop that turned up marijuana and psilocybin, but his charges were misdemeanors; Johnson’s charge was more serious because the alleged quantity crossed the felony threshold.¹⁴

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WKRN. Jamey Johnson Arrested
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People. Jamey Johnson Arrested for Alleged Marijuana Possession and Speeding
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Rolling Stone. Jamey Johnson Arrested for Marijuana Possession and Speeding
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Justia. Tennessee Code § 39-17-417
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NewsChannel 5. Singer-Songwriter Jamey Johnson Arrested in Williamson County
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Taste of Country. Jamey Johnson at 2024 CMA Awards George Strait Tribute
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Rolling Stone. Jamey Johnson Performs Give It Away at 2024 CMA Awards George Strait Tribute
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Taste of Country. Jelly Roll Jamey Johnson Shirt at 2024 CMA Awards
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Whiskey Riff. Jamey Johnson Quit Smoking Marijuana for Almost a Decade
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Yahoo Entertainment. Jamey Johnson Arrested for Alleged Marijuana Possession
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People. Jamey Johnson Marries Brittney Eakins
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Tennessee Lookout. Tennessee Senate Democrat Pushes Cannabis Reform Following Federal Move
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Tennessee General Assembly. SB0809 – Tennessee Cannabis Act
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WKRN. Darius Rucker Arrested on Drug Charges in Williamson County