Director Oliver Stone believes marijuana was "a lifesaver" during his tours as a soldier in the Vietnam War.

The filmmaker and screenwriter, who helmed classics such as Platoon and Natural Born Killers, was a soldier in America's Vietnam War during the 1960s.

While speaking about his new film Savages to Gayle King on CBS This Morning, the decorated veteran spoke about the refuge he found in the drug during battle in the jungles.

"It made the difference between staying human and becoming a beast," Oliver shared. "A lot of people in my platoon used it, not on the front lines, but in the back to relax and stay in touch with themselves. I looked on it as a lifesaver at the time. We walked out relatively whole. The guys who did dope were more conscious of life."

Oliver is on the August issue cover of marijuana enthusiast magazine High Times dressed dapper while smoking a joint.

During another promotional interview he shared his thoughts on the USA's stance on narcotics regulation.

"There is a crazy war on drugs in this country that's kind of a farce," he said on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon recently. "It hasn't worked. It's really a war for money."

Oliver's new film Savages starring Blake Lively and Salma Hayek is released this week.