Why Elton John Calls the Legalization of Marijuana ‘One of the Greatest Mistakes of All Time’

Mar. 15, 2025

Elton John in London in 2021.Photo:JMEnternational for BRIT Awards/Getty

JMEnternational for BRIT Awards/Getty

Elton Johncriticized thelegalizationof marijuana, saying it’s “addictive” and impairs cognitive thinking.

“It all came to a climax, really, at the Ryan White funeral in Indianapolis — a really sad and emotional week — and I came back to the hotel thinking I’m just so out of line,” John toldTime. “It was a shock to see how far down the scale of humanity I’d fallen.”

“You make terrible decisions on drugs,” John explained. “I wanted love so badly, I’d just take hostages. I’d see someone I liked and spend three or four months together, and then they would resent me because they had nothing in their life apart from me. It really upsets me, thinking back on how many people I probably hurt.”

Now sober, John has helped others kick the habit. Hereached outto supportBoy George’s sobriety journey, and as he revealed in his 2019 memoir,Me,John is friend andcollaboratorEminem’sAlcoholics Anonymoussponsor.

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Elton John with friend and collaborator Eminem.Eminem/X

Eminem/X

“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a—hole, and it’s tough to hear,” he says, saying that when it came to getting sober, “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a—hole.”

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source: people.com