Elton John believes legalizing marijuana ‘is one of the greatest mistakes of all time’

Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Elton John is not holding his tongue when it comes to legalized marijuana.

In an interview with Time magazine as part of their Icon of the Year coverage, the legendary singer shared his thoughts about the legalization of cannabis in parts of the US and Canada.

“I maintain that it’s addictive,” he said. “It leads to other drugs. 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.”

John comes at it from the perspective of being sober for many years.

“He is Eminem’s sponsor. He orchestrated English pop star Robbie Williams’ first stint in rehab,” the publication pointed out.

One artist he regrets he couldn’t help was the late George Michael, who struggled with substance abuse before dying with heart and liver disease in 2016. He was 53.

“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a**hole, and it’s tough to hear,” John said of attempting to assist Michael with sobriety. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a**hole.”

John’s longtime writing partner, Bernie Taupin, said that when John was hooked on drugs, “I was terrified for him. 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 said. “I wasn’t able to creatively invest any time in writing material that related to him until he actually found himself, and then it was easier for me to reflect upon it.”