Elton John, the award-winning musician, has come to the stage in opposition to legal marijuana. Now 34 years sober, John reflected on his life as a performer and his time as an addict during an interview with TIME Magazine, which named him 2024’s Icon of the Year.
“Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time,” John said in the article released Wednesday, Dec. 11.
He said he “maintains” marijuana is addictive and that it can lead a person to experiment with other drugs.
Adults in Canada have legally used marijuana, with possession and distribution restrictions, since its passing in 2018. In the U.S., 24 states allow its recreational use, with even more having legalized it for medicinal purposes.
Over the years, the majority of Americans’ views on the drug have shifted. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center poll, 88% of Americans believe marijuana should be legal, whether it’s recreational or medicinal.
John also said that users can’t properly think when under the influence of marijuana, something the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reflected on in a 2024 report analyzing its effects.
The CDC said marijuana use can impact the brain’s function, including memory and decision-making. The agency also notes long-term use could increase a person’s risk of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, though it clarifies that “scientists don’t yet fully understand the relationships between these mental health disorders and cannabis use.”
Over the summer, the Biden administration announced plans to reclassify marijuana in the hopes of decriminalizing the drug.
