Why Elton John Thinks Legalizing Weed Is 'the Greatest Mistake'

Elton John revealed his surprising feelings about cannabis legalization during an interview with Time after being anointed the outlet’s Icon of the Year honor.

John, who has struggled on and off with addiction throughout his life, told the publication that he doesn’t view cannabis as the harmless recreational drug that most people do nowadays. “I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs,” he 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.”

John explained that his current views on cannabis stem from the negative impact other drugs had on his life. The singer struggled with a cocaine habit in the 1970s and later battled alcohol dependency. “You make terrible decisions on drugs,” he reflected. “It really upsets me, thinking back on how many people I probably hurt.”

Eventually, John knew he was at risk of irrevocably damaging not only his career but his personal relationships. “I was terrified for him. It was absolutely horrible,” John’s longtime producer Bernie Taupin said of that period. “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,” admitted the producer, who likewise struggled in the past with substance abuse.

“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a--hole, and it’s tough to hear,” John admitted. “Eventually, I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a--hole.”

John has gone on to help a number of celebrities with their sobriety, such as George Michaels and Robbie Williams, for whom he organized the rocker’s first trip to rehab. John also serves as Eminem’s AA sponsor.