British singer-songwriter Elton John has called the legalisation of marijuana in America and Canada “one of the greatest mistakes of all time”.
Speaking with Time magazine, which selected John as the 2024 Icon of the Year, the legendary musician spoke of his past addiction and described marijuana’s impact on his mental health.
“I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned – and I’ve been stoned – you don’t think normally,” the 77-year-old said.
“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a******, and it’s tough to hear,” John said. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a******.”
His own experiences with weed have made him question the North American legalisation of marijuana. “Legalising marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time,” he told the magazine.
More than 20 US states and the District of Columbia have legalised recreational marijuana for adults, with more states permitting its medical use.
Though cannabis remains illegal federally, the Justice Department recently proposed reclassifying it as a less dangerous drug to acknowledge its medical benefits.
In Canada, cannabis was fully legalised for both recreational and medical use in October 2018.
John, who has previously discussed his past use of alcohol and drugs like marijuana and cocaine, got sober in 1990 after the death of his friend Ryan White, who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion.
“It all came to a climax, really, at the Ryan White funeral in Indianapolis – a really sad and emotional week – and I came back to the hotel thinking I’m just so out of line,” John said.
“It was a shock to see how far down the scale of humanity I’d fallen.”
Six months later, he said he went into rehab.
In 2022, US president Joe Biden honoured John with the National Humanities Medal, praising him as “an enduring icon and advocate with absolute courage, who found purpose to challenge convention, shatter stigma, and advance the simple truth that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect”.
