“Drug Czar” Professor David Nutt, the top British adviser on drugs, was fired last week over controversial statements criticizing current drug policies. The dismissal has prompted outrage among government scientists and even resignations among members of his council. Now, he is leading a revolt and threatening to form a new independent committee to continue his work.

While serving as the chairman of the government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), Nutt made claims about marijuana, ecstasy, and LSD being less dangerous than legal substances like alcohol and tobacco. He compared the risks of horseback riding with those of ecstasy, and even accused the government of “Luddite tendencies” and misleading the public.   

"Gordon Brown makes completely irrational statements about cannabis being 'lethal', which it is not. I'm not prepared to mislead the public about the harmfulness of drugs like cannabis and ecstasy,” Nutt explained. “I think most scientists will see this as an example of the Luddite attitude of governments towards science."

In response to the criticism, Home Office Secretary Alan Johnson charged Nutt with crossing the line into politics and even “lobbying” and "campaigning against government policy" regarding drugs. Johnson said he had “lost confidence” in Nutt’s ability to offer unbiased advice, and demanded that he resign his post. Following the spat, several members of the Council resigned in protest as well, and others may follow after a meeting next week with the Home Secretary.  

But Nutt went on a rampage, remaining unrepentant and blasting the government’s attitude. "My view is policy should be based on evidence,” he opined. “It's a bit odd to make policy that goes in the face of evidence. The danger is they are misleading us. The scientific evidence is there: it's in all the reports we published. Our judgments about the classification of drugs like cannabis and ecstasy have been based on a great deal of very detailed scientific appraisal.”

The professor emphasized again that marijuana was “not that harmful” while railing against alcohol. “My view is that, if you want to reduce the harm to society from drugs, alcohol is the drug to target at present," he explained, suggesting that tripling the price may help mitigate the problem.

Nutt is also threatening to set up an independent advisory committee. Though he refuses to disclose the backers, he claims to have the financial support for creating the body and that he would bring a lot of the government’s panel with him. “All I can say is many of them are completely behind me and many of them are minded to resign,” Nutt said of his former colleagues.

The furor has spread beyond the drug advisory committee as well. "I am writing immediately to the Home Secretary to ask for clarification as to why Sir David Nutt has been relieved of duties as chair of the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs at a time when independent scientific advice to Government is essential,” said Phil Willis, the chairman of the government’s Science and Technology Select Committee. “It is disturbing if an independent scientist should be removed for reporting sound scientific advice."

Other groups outside of the government have joined in as well. Policy and communications chief Claudia Rubin from the non-profit group Release, described as a center of expertise on drugs and drugs law, blasted the decision to penalize Nutt. "It's a real shame and a real indictment of the Government's refusal to take any proper advice on this subject," she said.

Last year 7,341 deaths were directly attributed to alcohol in the nation, while tobacco claimed almost 115,000. According to the figures released by the University of London, ecstasy killed 12, while no deaths were attributed to marijuana.

In related news, the U.S.-based non-profit Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is warning of a new rule to silence U.S. government drug advisers that is currently making its way through the Senate. In a statement posted online, the group said the amendment “will legally prevent some of the government's top advisers from even discussing the idea of legalizing or decriminalizing drugs as a solution to the failed ‘war on drugs.’”

The “censorship amendment” being sponsored by Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa would be part of a larger bill creating a commission to study the nation’s criminal justice and drug policies. It is supposed to offer recommendations on how to improve the system, but would be barred from considering certain alternatives if the amendment is passed. It could be voted on in the Senate Judiciary Committee as early as November 5.

The “war on drugs” has clearly failed. Around the world, the United Nations’ drug treaties are forcing countries like the United States and Britain to adopt senseless policies. Millions of nonviolent offenders are in prison while governments squander tens of billions every year enriching criminal syndicates and spreading violence throughout the world. But if governments continue to silence dissenters, constitutional and rational approaches to the problem may not even be considered.

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true religion jeans said:

	... Thank you very much. I am wonderring if I can share your article in the bookmarks of society,Then more friends can talk about this problem.
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November 04, 2009 | url
Votes: +2

RevRayGreen said:

What at kind of person would deny sick people good medicne ? anyone who thing marijuana is a dangerous substance needs to check themselves and the legal dugs they are currently using. 11/4/09-Newswise — Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. This is exposed in a recent study carried out at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa’s Department of Psychology. The study, carried out by research student Eti Ganon-Elazar under the supervision of Dr. Irit Akirav, was published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience.

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November 04, 2009 | url
Votes: +2

Lee Gonzales said:

Wait a minute Ending the "war on drugs" is fine but that doesn't mean that taking a shot of dope is not going to harm you either. We know that CFR criminals have stolen the republic from us are using wars of one kind or another to attack our freedoms and using the war on drugs to as a two edged sword to grow the police state and to waste ever larger sums of money fighting that war. If the government were sincere they wouldn't allow Red Chinese ships full of heroin to enter our harbors and they'd shut down illegal immigration tonight. That part we agree on, or we don't disagree on too much! However, here's where the cannabis hits the sativa: The chemical components that make up marijuana are not something to toy around with. There's a good reason why it is called dope. The stuff gets you high and impairs your ability to react quickly. If the stuff was so great high wire walkers would toke up before balancing themselves 30 feet off the ground. I'll stop writing and await your quick response.

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November 05, 2009
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JohnD said:

	... Hay I recommend this article: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/blog/talking_politics/article/75905/
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November 05, 2009
Votes: +1

John Campbell said:

	Mr This man was taken on as an adviser, he was not elected. He seems to think he was appointed as drugs policy dictator. He is just a loud-mouth hoping to make money on the lecture circuits.
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November 05, 2009
Votes: -4

rory said:

	nfhjffj what are you talking about, this man is an academic, who talking as a academic discussed the relative harm of the drugs we take. Are the governments scientific advisers just meant to peddle what the government want them to and be government yes men. how in hells bejesus is he a dictator of any kind.
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November 05, 2009
Votes: +4

Jim Beam said:

Reply to Wait a Minute The chemical components that make up marijuana are not something to toy around with. There's a good reason why it is called dope. The stuff gets you high and impairs your ability to react quickly. If the stuff was so great high wire walkers would toke up before balancing themselves 30 feet off the ground. A drug is meant to impair and alters your biochemistry. Dope is referring to the dopamine receptors, which are altered by heroine use. If you are against drug use, then I hope you have never drank a glass of wine, smoked a cigarette, drank coffee, or taken advil, because those are all drugs as well.

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November 09, 2009
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Rory G said:

	John Campbell Hi John Im from the UK. And it is from the UK I write this. He was also an UNPAID adviser. He did this job in his own time, unpaid, as did everybody else on the commitee. He has every right to say what he wants - even if it disagrees with the government of the day.
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November 13, 2009
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