Tony Bennett Defends His Drug Legalization Comments at the Grammys
During his Grammy acceptance speech in the pre-telecast, Tony Bennett called for drug legalization. He also reminisces on Whitney Houston and the first time he ever heard her voice.
Tony caught up with Rolling Stone backstage after his win. He noted that drugs are legal in Amsterdam and thus, there isn't a panic to do it. He does have a point, but I'm not sure legalizing is the best way to approach the problem.
"It was mostly positive," Bennett said last night of the reaction to his comments, noting the struggles Houston had later in life. Legalization would "get rid of all the gangsters that make people hide. One thing I've learned about young people, when you say 'Don't do this,' that's the one thing they're going to try and do. Once it's legal and everybody can do it, there is no longer the desire to do something that nobody else can do."I witnessed that in Amsterdam," added Bennett, 85, who survived his own cocaine habit in the late Seventies. "It's legal, and as a result there's no panic in the streets. There's no deals, there's no 'Meet me at the corner and I'll give you something.' You're always afraid you're going to get arrested. You have to hide. Why do that?"
Photo from AP