Elton John: Legalising cannabis is one of the greatest mistakes of all time

Sir Elton John has hit out at the legalisation of marijuana in parts of North America, saying it was “one of the greatest mistakes of all time”, as he was named Time magazine’s icon of the year.

The musician, who brought his touring career to an end last year and has been sober for 34 years, has helped fellow celebrities, including Eminem and Robbie Williams, to recover from addiction.

Sir Elton told Time that it is “tough to hear” how bad your behaviour has become, and said admitting this helped him get clean.

He added that marijuana is “addictive”, and said: “It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned — and I’ve been stoned — you don’t think normally.

“Legalising marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”

In a 1999 interview with Sir David Frost, Sir Elton disclosed that his throat problems midway through an Australian tour in the mid-1980s were caused by marijuana, and said he had given up using the drug after advice from doctors.

In Canada, cannabis is legal from the age of 18, with certain restrictions including the amount people can possess and distribute.

Certain US states including California have restrictions on running a cannabis business, and it has been legal for recreational use for people aged 21 and over since 2018.

Sir Elton also discussed his “short fuse”, saying he can snap “if I’m tired, if I’m exhausted, if I’m overwhelmed”, which was explored in a 1990s documentary titled Tantrums And Tiaras.

Shot over a year by his husband, David Furnish, it showed how Sir Elton often became frustrated and nearly pulled out of a video shoot because his clothes were late.

“I don’t like having that temperament, but it’s all usually done and dusted within five or 10 minutes,” Sir Elton said.

“David can tell you that my fuse is very short, and the worst thing about my temper is that David is very rational about things and he’ll explain… and I’ll get even madder about it.”

Sir Elton credits the short fuse for him creating songs quickly, saying: “But it’s really effortless. If I get a lyric and I look at it, the song comes straight out.”

Directors Furnish and RJ Cutler are putting out a new documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, which captures the veteran singer preparing for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, having performed two sold-out concerts at the venue in 1975.

His headline set at Glastonbury last year was his last UK performance as part of a 330-date Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which he drew to a close with an emotionally charged show in Stockholm, Sweden.

Earlier this year, Sir Elton became the 19th performer to earn the coveted EGOT status – a winner of an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony.

He disclosed on Instagram in September that his vision had been affected in his right eye after he contracted an infection in the summer.