Elton John Speaks Out Against Marijuana Legalization, Citing His Struggles with Addiction
The singer and cultural icon, recently named Time magazine’s Icon of the Year, has never shied away from sharing his experiences, both the triumphs and tribulations. In a recent interview, he tackled a topic that may surprise some: the legalization of marijuana.
unger cosponsor refused, but he told
“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,” he said. “Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
John’s strong stance stems from his personal battles with addiction. He admitted that helping others overcome their own dependencies has been crucial in his recovery process.
“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an asshole, and it’s tough to hear,” John continued. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an asshole.”
He vividly recalled being introduced to cocaine by his then-lover and manager, John Reid. The experience was initially liberating for John, helping him overcome crippling shyness. However, its grip tightened over time, eventually overpowering him. “You make terrible decisions on drugs,” he said, his voice grave. “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.”
His reflection extended further,
Looking back on his life, he cited three pivotal elements in his decision to get sober: Watford FC, the local soccer club from
his youth, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Ryan White, a teenager who tragically died of AIDS complications after contracting HIV from a tainted blood transfusion.
”, he said.
It
was this realization, spurred on by such tragedies, that truly roused John to confront his addiction head-on.
“It came to a climax 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.
It was a shock to see how far down the scale of humanity I’d fallen,” he confessed.
This year, he was
elected.
