Elton John minced no words explaining his stance against the legality of marijuana in America and Canada.
While speaking with Time magazine, which selected the prolific piano man as its 2024 Icon of the Year, John opened up about his past drug use and expressed his strong opinions against the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. and Canada.
“I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs,” John said. “And when you’re stoned — and I’ve been stoned — you don’t think normally. Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
Time reported that John has helped several other artists recover from their addictions since going sober himself, serving as Eminem’s sponsor and sending British pop star Robbie Williams on his first trip to rehab. One performer he was unable to help was George Michael.
Popular on Variety
“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an asshole, and it’s tough to hear,” John said. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an asshole.”
John, who was first introduced to cocaine in the mid ’70s by his lover-turned-manager John Reid, explained that his views on marijuana stem from his own personal battles with drug addiction.
“You make terrible decisions on drugs,” he said. “I wanted love so badly, I’d just take hostages. I’d see someone I liked and spend three or four months together, and then they would resent me because they had nothing in their life apart from me. It really upsets me, thinking back on how many people I probably hurt.”
