Elton John has publicly criticized the legalization of marijuana, labeling it as an addictive substance that impairs cognitive functions. “I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs,” John stated in an interview with Time Magazine, where he was honored as Icon of the Year. “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.”

Reflecting on his past struggles with substance abuse, the now 77-year-old John recounted his own experiences with drugs, particularly cocaine, which became his drug of choice after being introduced to it by his former manager and lover, John Reid. His turning point came following the death of his close friend Ryan White, who tragically contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. The event prompted John to check into Chicago’s Parkside Lutheran Hospital on July 29, 1990, beginning a sobriety journey that he has maintained ever since.

“It all came to a climax, really, at the Ryan White funeral in Indianapolis,” John shared with Time. “It was a deeply sad and emotional week, and I returned to my 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.”

John further elaborated on the destructive impact of drug use on his personal life. “You make terrible decisions on drugs,” he admitted. “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.”

Since achieving sobriety, John has dedicated himself to helping others overcome addiction. He supported Boy George on his journey to sobriety and revealed in his 2019 memoir, Me, that he serves as Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor to his friend and collaborator Eminem.