Sir Elton John has launched a scathing attack on the legalization of marijuana in parts of the US and Canada, calling it a “grave mistake” in an interview with Time magazine, CNN reports.
The legendary singer, sober for many years and a long-time advocate for addiction recovery, shared his concerns about cannabis’s potential for harm.
“I maintain that it’s addictive,” John said. “It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned—and I’ve been stoned—you don’t think normally.”
He unequivocally declared the legalization of the substance “one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
John’s perspective stems from his own experiences with addiction and his extensive work helping other artists overcome substance abuse. He is Eminem’s sponsor and orchestrated Robbie Williams’ first rehab stint. However, he expressed regret over his inability to fully assist the late George Michael, who died in 2016 at age 53 from heart and liver disease following a long struggle with addiction.
“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an ahole, and it’s tough to hear,” John reflected on his attempts to help Michael. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an ahole.”
The severity of John’s past struggles was underscored by his longtime writing partner, Bernie Taupin.
“I was terrified for him,” Taupin recalled. “It was absolutely horrible. A lot of the work that we did in the times when he was at his worst wasn’t the best of both of us.”
Taupin added that their creative partnership only truly flourished after John achieved sobriety.
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