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 ShroomerRoss
Registered: 08/29/08
Posts: 4,444
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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 UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body 
#11384772 - 11/04/09 02:59 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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BBC News
Wednesday 04 Nov 2009
The drugs adviser controversially sacked by the government says he will establish a new scientific committee if the current advisory body disbands.
Professor David Nutt was removed from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs last week after saying cannabis was less harmful than tobacco or drink.
Two other members have resigned, and the rest are to meet the home secretary next week to discuss its future role.
If talks fail, Professor Nutt says he has backing for an independent body.
The professor said he had been pledged sufficient funding to cover the costs of a new council. The present Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs costs £150,000 per year to run.
But he refused to comment on where this money would come from, stressing only that "it was not surprising that there is someone out there who wants to support sensible voices".
Responding to the suggestion of a new council, a spokesperson for the Home Office said: "The government already has an independent advisory body to give advice on drug related issues."
Concessions
There have been no further resignations since Dr Les King and pharmacist Marion Walker left the 31-strong committee over the weekend.
In principle, without a pharmacist on board, the ACMD is contravening its statutory requirements.
The remaining members are due to meet Alan Johnson on Tuesday 10 November to discuss how the body will continue to function.
It is thought likely they will press for written assurances from Mr Johnson as to how government sees their role.
"They have to make their own minds up," said the professor, asked how many might resign.
"All I can say is many of them are completely behind me and many of them are minded to resign. If they all get the right kind of concessions, they might not."
Mr Johnson sacked Professor Nutt last week after a lecture he gave stating his view that illicit drugs should be classified according to the harm they cause, and that alcohol and tobacco caused more harm than LSD, cannabis and ecstasy.
This, Mr Johnson said, was because he had "crossed a line" into politics and that his remarks amounted to "lobbying" against government drugs policy.
Spice wars
Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Professor Nutt claimed a number of high profile drugs projects were threatened, regardless of whether the committee stayed or was disbanded as the expertise of the departed Les King was so important.
He highlighted work into what is known as Spice - an often complex mixture of synthetic cannabinoid drugs easily available on the internet and GBL - a chemical solvent party drug. Mr Johnson said over the summer that these would be banned by the end of the year.
He also highlighted ongoing work into ketamine, the class C anaesthetic drug, and its effect on the bladder.
And he raised questions about the drugs policy of a future Conservative Government, which he characterised as "back to get 'em off, lock 'em up and keep 'em clean".
The Conservatives have already backed Mr Johnson's decision to sack Professor Nutt, saying some of his comments had been "particularly ill-judged".
But Professor Nutt made clear he was unrepentant, and that it was high time society engaged with the real drug problem - alcohol. If it were developed tomorrow, it would quickly become illegal, he argued.
"The government has to wake up to this timebomb and the health risks of alcohol," he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8342454.stm
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 roquet
Expat tippler
Registered: 05/29/07
Posts: 1,195
Loc: Dubai بجدية عربي...
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Re: UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body [Re: ShroomerRoss]
#11385284 - 11/04/09 04:00 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Professor Nutt is featured on Friday and Monday's Newsnight. (Downloadable outside the UK from uknova.com) He's really socking it to the government. Go for it, Nutt!
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Olskool420
Stranger
Registered: 09/20/09
Posts: 153
Last seen: 12 years, 9 months
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Re: UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body [Re: roquet]
#11385483 - 11/04/09 04:23 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Hopefully more members of the Council will resign this week. It would be great to see them stand up for Nutt and collectively fuck the government.
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It is impossible to make people understand their ignorance; for it requires knowledge to perceive it and therefore he that can perceive it hath it not.
-Jeremy Taylor
The first condition of immortality is death.
-Stanislaw J. Lec
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Germican
Wyld Stallyn
Registered: 05/22/09
Posts: 325
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body [Re: Olskool420]
#11385636 - 11/04/09 04:45 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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That is exactly what they need to do. Doesn't matter whether the government agrees or not they are still seeking true based on scientific phenomenon and measurement of said events.
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Dutchie3k
Psychic Drifter
Registered: 12/16/08
Posts: 348
Loc: this hazy bubble, state o...
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Re: UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body [Re: Germican]
#11388284 - 11/04/09 10:56 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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I would like to think something like this is possible in the U.S. as well as elsewhere in the world. I just happen to know that it's very, very unlikely... 
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"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. The others - the living - are those who pushed their control as far as they felt they could handle it, and then pulled back, or slowed down, or did whatever they had to when it came time to choose between Now and Later"
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nice1
Not the droid your looking for
Registered: 09/26/09
Posts: 10,449
Loc: earth
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body [Re: ShroomerRoss]
#11388430 - 11/04/09 11:32 PM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yay for Nutt!
The truth prevails against corruption!!!
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sorahtak
Tiger Hugger
Registered: 07/02/08
Posts: 598
Last seen: 10 months, 14 days
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Re: UK: Nutt vows to set up new drug body [Re: ShroomerRoss]
#11388737 - 11/05/09 01:06 AM (14 years, 5 months ago) |
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Government: Of course the Sun revolves around the Earth. Here, we'll assemble a council of scientists to prove it.
Scientist: After thorough research we have concluded the the Earth actually revolves around the Sun.
Government: You're fired! We're going to replace you with someone sensible!
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