George Michael says he is not a stoner anymore

Los Angeles - George Michael reveals he quit smoking cannabis "over a year-and-a-half" ago.

The Faith hitmaker explained he has "completely stopped" taking the drug, and been clean for over 18 months.

Asked if he still smokes marijuana, he told The Big Issue magazine: "Not at all. I've completely stopped. I haven't touched it for well over a year-and-a-half now."

The star also revealed how his stay in Pentonville prison in 2010 - following a car crash while high on cannabis and anti-anxiety pill Amitriptyline - was "easier" than he expected because he knew it was "deserved".

He explained: "Jail wasn't great. I just thought, get your head down and get on with it.

"It turned out to be easier than I was expecting because I knew I deserved to be there... I was pretty overwhelmed by the love and support the fans showed me."

He also opened up about his battle with pneumonia a few years ago, during which he spent weeks in an intensive care unit.

He said: "On a subconscious level it was very frightening and I'll probably never feel quite as safe again.

"But I was just so grateful to come out alive and get back to my home in London."