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My favourite is always Professor David Nutt, fired from his position advising the Home Office for saying ecstasy and LSD were less dangerous than alcohol. http

by aidos 9y ago

My favourite is always Professor David Nutt, fired from his position advising the Home Office for saying ecstasy and LSD were less dangerous than alcohol. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/oct/30/drugs-adviser-david-nutt-sacked https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/oct/30/drugs-advis... EDIT: David Nutt on how ecstasy isn't as dangerous as "Equasy" http://www.encod.org/info/EQUASY-A-HARMFUL-ADDICTION.html http://www.encod.org/info/EQUASY-A-HARMFUL-ADDICTION.html

chiefalchemist 9y ago
Well, MDMA did in fact start as a therapeutic drug. It's roots are not a street / designer drug.
- aidos 9y ago
  And while most of that research is now banned, Dr Robin Carhart-Harris (who studied under David Nutt) is one of the few researchers still allowed to experiment with psychedelics. I'd highly recommend reading / watching some of his work.
  - chiefalchemist 9y ago
    I guess so. But it does seem that once or twice a year I see something about bringing MDMA back as a psycho therapy. I've certainly met plenty of people who could benefit ;)
    - aidos 9y ago
      It definitely seems to be an uphill battle for those working on it. I guess as more research is conducted and evidence gathered, that leads to more acceptance and slowly the tide turns. Here's a couple of Dr Carhart-Harris clips. The first is at the Secret Garden Party (UK festival) and the second is a debate with a psychology lecturer (which is much more philosophical). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ifWcdEpCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ifWcdEpCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0XYmcpQFjY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0XYmcpQFjY
QAPereo 9y ago
Proof if it were needed, that the Home Office is off its Nutt.
- aidos 9y ago
  I appreciated the humour, even if nobody else did :-)
cwkoss 9y ago
I think his idea for 'hangover free alcohol' is pretty interesting as well. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/hangover-free-alcohol-david-nutt-alcosynth-nhs-postive-effects-benzodiazepine-guy-bentley-a7324076.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/...
- tyingq 9y ago
  Interesting. Wonder why he predicts it so far out....not until 2050. Not clear if that's because of cost, regulations, or something else.
yznovyak 9y ago
Nah. David Nutt is criminally dishonest. I've read his book (Drugs Without the Hot Air) and it is a straight up propaganda. The guy cherry picks a lot of his evidence and it is a chapter after chapter of half truths and lies by omission. Of the top of my head I can recall Nutt's chapter about LSD, where he claims that the LSD is very safe and even mentions Kary Mullis (a guy who invented the polymerase chain reaction and got a Nobel prize for it). Nutt builds up hype around Mullis (and to be fair, Mullis' academic accomplishments are impressive) and conveniently cites Mullis saying that he took a lot of LSD and that LSD was more important than the coursework and that he couldn't have invented PCR without LSD. What Nutt conveniently leaves out is that Kary Mullis is batshit fucking insane. Mullis denies existence of AIDS, denies climate change, believes in astrology, left science couple of times to operate a bakery and write books, talks about meeting and talking to a glowing green raccoon (yes, seriously). So... maybe... just maybe... LSD has something to do with that? Wouldn't it be at least a little bit dishonest to leave that other (weird) part of Mullis' personality? edit: removed a paragraph with my thoughts about friends who do psychedelics.
- bob_theslob646 9y ago
  Can you post some sources on why the person you mentioned is "posting straight up propaganda" because if it were not safe then why would the FDA clear the a study on lsd? >https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychedelic-therapy-tried-by-patients-for-mental-health-psychological-conditions/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychedelic-therapy-tried-by-pa... That was in Feb.2017

by aidos 9y ago

chiefalchemist 9y ago

Well, MDMA did in fact start as a therapeutic drug. It's roots are not a street / designer drug.

aidos 9y ago
And while most of that research is now banned, Dr Robin Carhart-Harris (who studied under David Nutt) is one of the few researchers still allowed to experiment with psychedelics. I'd highly recommend reading / watching some of his work.
- chiefalchemist 9y ago
  I guess so. But it does seem that once or twice a year I see something about bringing MDMA back as a psycho therapy. I've certainly met plenty of people who could benefit ;)
  - aidos 9y ago
    It definitely seems to be an uphill battle for those working on it. I guess as more research is conducted and evidence gathered, that leads to more acceptance and slowly the tide turns. Here's a couple of Dr Carhart-Harris clips. The first is at the Secret Garden Party (UK festival) and the second is a debate with a psychology lecturer (which is much more philosophical). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ifWcdEpCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5ifWcdEpCA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0XYmcpQFjY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0XYmcpQFjY

QAPereo 9y ago

Proof if it were needed, that the Home Office is off its Nutt.

aidos 9y ago
I appreciated the humour, even if nobody else did :-)

cwkoss 9y ago

I think his idea for 'hangover free alcohol' is pretty interesting as well. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/hangover-free-alcohol-david-nutt-alcosynth-nhs-postive-effects-benzodiazepine-guy-bentley-a7324076.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/...

tyingq 9y ago
Interesting. Wonder why he predicts it so far out....not until 2050. Not clear if that's because of cost, regulations, or something else.

yznovyak 9y ago

Nah. David Nutt is criminally dishonest. I've read his book (Drugs Without the Hot Air) and it is a straight up propaganda. The guy cherry picks a lot of his evidence and it is a chapter after chapter of half truths and lies by omission. Of the top of my head I can recall Nutt's chapter about LSD, where he claims that the LSD is very safe and even mentions Kary Mullis (a guy who invented the polymerase chain reaction and got a Nobel prize for it). Nutt builds up hype around Mullis (and to be fair, Mullis' academic accomplishments are impressive) and conveniently cites Mullis saying that he took a lot of LSD and that LSD was more important than the coursework and that he couldn't have invented PCR without LSD. What Nutt conveniently leaves out is that Kary Mullis is batshit fucking insane. Mullis denies existence of AIDS, denies climate change, believes in astrology, left science couple of times to operate a bakery and write books, talks about meeting and talking to a glowing green raccoon (yes, seriously). So... maybe... just maybe... LSD has something to do with that? Wouldn't it be at least a little bit dishonest to leave that other (weird) part of Mullis' personality? edit: removed a paragraph with my thoughts about friends who do psychedelics.

bob_theslob646 9y ago
Can you post some sources on why the person you mentioned is "posting straight up propaganda" because if it were not safe then why would the FDA clear the a study on lsd? >https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychedelic-therapy-tried-by-patients-for-mental-health-psychological-conditions/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychedelic-therapy-tried-by-pa... That was in Feb.2017