In an interview with Time magazine Wednesday, pop music legend Elton John said the legalization of marijuana was “one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
Mr. John, who has been sober for 34 years, also helps others with trying to stay sober, including sponsoring rapper Eminem and attempting to help the late George Michael. He told Time that marijuana is a gateway drug.
“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. Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time,” Mr. John said.
Marijuana is legal for recreational use in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It has been legal across Canada since 2018.
Voters in three states agreed with Mr. John at the ballot box in 2024. Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota all allow the use of medically prescribed marijuana but voted against legalization for recreational use in 2024, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
With Nebraskans approving medical marijuana at the ballot box, only Kansas and Idaho allow neither medical nor recreational marijuana, according to the CDC.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.