Elton John has shared his thoughts on marijuana being made legal in the United States and Canada – find out why he thinks it’s “one of the greatest mistakes of all time” below.
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John – who has been sober since 1990; he celebrated 34 years of sobriety in August this year – revealed in a chat with TIME Magazine, who have named him Icon of the Year that he still believes weed is a gateway drug that will lead users to other substances.
Sir Elton took a year off from work in 1990 to attend recovery after years of addiction issues. In his 2019 memoir, Me, he opened up about just how bad his addiction was – recalling the time he hijacked a Rolling Stones show while high on cocaine, as well as the moment he mistook Bob Dylan for his gardener while high.
He even went as far as to say that many musicians between the 1970s and 1990s regularly used cocaine, his abuse of the drug was so extreme by comparison that it was “noticed” by many.
Since then, Elton John has become somewhat of a beacon of hope for other high-profile musicians – TIME reports he’s Eminem’s sponsor and helped orchestrate Robin Williams’ first stint in rehab.
Now, speaking to TIME, John revealed that he still isn’t sure legalising weed in North America and Canada was the right move: “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. Legalising marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
When asked if he feels the same way about alcohol abuse, Elton John’s husband David Furnish chimed in to suggest that while alcohol is normalised and accepted as part of societal norms, it’s not nearly as safe and healthy as people might believe.
Speaking on his 34 years of sobriety in August, Elton John wrote on social media that his life has “never been better”.
John has spoken extensively about his addiction in the past. In 2019, the musician said he feared he wouldn’t be able to perform sober after he took a year long break to have treatment for addiction.
He told Variety’s Recovery Issue: “After I finally surrendered and decided to seek treatment for my addiction, there came a point when I wondered if I would ever go back to work as Elton John again.
“But at that time, I wasn’t thinking too much about being an artist. I had reached the lowest ebb in my life – the absolute bottom. I hated myself so much. I was consumed with shame. All I wanted to do was get well. I put all of the energy I had left toward my recovery.”
In order to maintain his sobriety, John also attended AA and NA meetings while touring across the globe and even visited local groups in countries where he didn’t speak the native language, in a bid to feel “grounded”.
He also revealed in 2019 that Beatles guitarist George Harrison helped him during his long battle with drug addiction.
