The 61-year-old guitar legend believes that by making the drug legal, it could transform the flagging American economy.

Speaking at the promotional launch of his Hard Rock Hotel residency in Las Vegas, Santana used the platform to spread his views on the contentious subject.

According to the Associated Press, he said: "Legalize marijuana and take all that money and invest it in teachers and in education. You will see a transformation in America.

(Legalisation is) really way overdue, like the prohibition with the alcohol and stuff like that.”

Santana even used the opportunity to take a swipe at Arnold Schwarzenegger: "I really believe that as soon as we legalize and decriminalize marijuana we can actually afford a really good governor who won't keep taking money away from education and from teachers and send him back to Hollywood where he can do 'D' movies and we can get an 'A' governor."

(by Scott Colothan)