Sir Elton John has called the legalisation of marijuana in parts of North America “one of the greatest mistakes of all time”.
The 77-year-old musician, who brought his touring career to an end last year and has been sober for 34 years, has helped fellow celebrities including Eminem and Robbie Williams to recover from addiction.
As he was named Time magazine’s icon of the year, Sir Elton said marijuana is “addictive” and added: “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.”
Throat problems
In a 1999 interview with Sir David Frost, Sir Elton disclosed that the throat problems he experienced midway through an Australian tour in the 1980s were caused by marijuana, and said he had given up using the drug after advice from doctors.
