Sacked UK Science Advisor Sounds Off Again
David Nutt, removed as chair of the British government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for daring to speak the unwanted truth that marijuana is safer than alcohol, is speaking out again, this time in the pages of The Lancet, one of the world’s top medical journals. Unfortunately, you can read only the first few lines of Nutt’s column unless you pay for full access (correction: you have to register but don’t have to pay — thanks to Just Legalize It for pointing this out), but he makes a critical point that many politicians surely won’t like: “The control of cannabis use through regulation rather than criminalisation has proved safe and effective in the Netherlands, and was indeed suggested in The Lancet as far back as 1963.”
Maybe someday governments will base policy on facts and data. It sure would be nice.
Tagged with: alcohol and David Nutt and Great Britain and marijuana and science by the author
35 comments
bruce… you can read the full article.. you just need to sign up for a free account to the lancet… takes 2 minutes
All they have to do is criminalize alchohol and tobbacco and we are square. Based on all the arguments for prohibition of cannabis, Alchohol and Tobacco should be illegal as well. Otherwise this is discrimination and last time i looked discrimination is frowned upon in our society and government.
If Cowboy Cooley can read, it would be nice for him to see Mr. Nutt’s comment. Maybe Cowboy Carmen can read it to him and they can both scoff together.
Hey ! We need more dynamite to put on the wall! Mr. Nutt will do for now.
I do hope that government do base policies on fact and data, however, politics will always gets in the way because of elections.
I like the good news this blog provides. With so much crap going on, some good news on the truth front makes my day.
Another reply from #5 : Elections are important. So vote.
Hey if you guys want to try and help out the cause some more head over to Facebook and become a fan of Chase Community Giving. They are giving out money to charities. Vote for the Marijuana Policy Project and any other groups for marijuana reform posted on there. (Leap and Students for Sensible Drug Policy are on there as well)
Common sense is NOT common.
I live in the twilight zone. I want to get abducted by aliens and taken to a distant planet with TRUE intelligent life.
I found this on the site http://www.phoenixtears.ca/ .
I went to the site that the patent is on, its there.http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/pdfs/patent_id/6630507.html I downloaded the PFD on it.
Now I dont know if this patent site is legit or not, but if it is then isnt this important for people to know? Do you guys of MPP,Norml know of this patent? I would think you do, but just in the event you dont. Other wise if this is real, everyone should know. Knowledge is power people.
Below is what is posted on the Phoenixtears site.
The Significance of US Govt Cannabinoid Patent 6,630,507
Posted by Brinna
When I was at the Patients Out of Time Medical Cannabis conference in Asilomar this last April, I overheard a remark that startled me: “The US Government has a patent on cannabis.” I couldn’t locate the person who made the comment, so I went home and did some online research. Sure enough, patent number 6,630,507 states unequivocally that cannabinoids are useful in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases including auto-immune disorders, stroke, trauma, Parkinson’s, Alzeheimer’s and HIV dementia. The patent, awarded in 2003, is based on research done by the National Institute of Health, and is assigned to the US Dept. of Health and Human Services.
So, why is this important?
Here is a legal document, in the public domain, which flies in the face of the US Government’s stated position with regard to the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance having no “currently accepted medical use”. Believe me, citing this patent stops the “medical marijuana is a myth” advocates dead in their tracks. They simply cannot argue with it.
The forces that would keep cannabis illegal are vocal and well funded, but they are not impervious to persistent effort. The lynch pin in the War on Drugs is cannabis. Without the suppression and interdiction of this popular and widely used substance, there simply would not be enough “illegal drug use” going on to justify the huge amount of money and resources spent on “fighting drugs.”
I believe disseminating information about this patent as widely as possible, and to as many people as possible is a crucial strategy in loosening that lynch pin, and changing public perception about cannabis. I, personally, downloaded the first page of this patent and sent a copy (with the assignee highlighted) to every one of my elected representatives. I have also included information about it in “letters to the editor” referencing any cannabis related news story I come across, I use it as an argument in every State medical cannabis and decriminalization initiative, and have mentioned it in all my comments to online posts and blogs of the same nature. I would be delighted if everyone who believes the War on Drugs is a failed and destructive policy, would do the same, until the existence of this irrefutable patent becomes widely held public knowledge, and government ’s rhetoric is shown to be as hollow as a busted drum.
Heres something I found interesting.
THC (tetrahydrocannabiol) is another of the cannabinoids that has been shown to be neuroprotectant in cell cultures, but this protection was believed to be mediated by interatction at the cannabinoid receptor, and so would be accompanied by undesired psychotropic side effects.
Although it has been unclear whether cannabimimetric activity plays a role in neuroprotection against glutamate induced neurological injury, the teaching in this field has clearly been that a cannabinoid must at least be a antagonist at the NMDA receptor to have neuroprotective effect. Hence cannabinol, a cannabinoid devoid of the psychoactive effect has not been useful as a neuroprotectant.
This above is from the patent language. It got me thinking. I’m no brain,but from what I can understand about the above statement is that They dont use THC because as it states,”cannabinol, a cannabinoid devoid of the psychoactive effect has not been useful as a neuroprotectant”, regular cannabinoids ,if used, will make you a little high, make you feel good. Now what is wrong with feeling good if your sick?
This also got me thinking of marinol. It must be a cannabinol, hence the synthethic version of THC or regular cannabinoids, you know -the ones that make you a bit high and feel good. So if I understand this correctly…marinol is the cannabinol they speak of,which makes it useless. If so, why are they putting a useless produce on the market to sell?
If anyone reading this sees anything I’m missing or not understanding, please enlighten me.
yes , “R.O.E.”,the u.s. gov. does have said patent.it is proof of knowledge by our gov. to the medicinal effects of cannabis.most importantly, you direct our readers to “phoenixtears.ca”. the government /big pharma do not want people to know they can effectively kill their tumors/cancer with 100% THC oil extract.this is the real secret they keep from us. yes, smoking/ingesting the raw plant matter greatly relieves the negative effects of chemotherapy . what they don’t tell you is that distilled THC oil destroys the cancer tumors ability to survive.many people in Canada claim complete recovery from skin cancer ,internal cancers ,diabetic skin tumors, and the list goes on. check it out for yourself, youtube “run from the cure” or ” phoenixtears.ca “
Thank you for the most excellent laugh today BenSmokesPot #9. It’s exactly how I feel.
Professor Nutt deserves a great deal of atta boys for what he’s doing. Wonderful, wonderful man.
Is the amount of cannabis related articles on the Lancet worth creating an account?
Just wondering as I’m basically burned out over creating an account right and left just to read their stuff.
Plus, if some of you have that account it would be appreciated if you’d copy and paste the entire read here.
britian disgraces science with their statistics of asprin vs cannabis deaths. they should be embarrased. today the information is flowing freely, not like in 1950’s when lies like this could go unchallanged. people resent being lied to.
C #15 and anyone reading here:
Our government is seeking to pass a bill that gives them control of the internet. If this happens, good bye freedom we have of information here. They will decide what is or isnt good for us to read or say.
They’ll succeed R.O.E. because we have too many lazy citizens. Get yer poop in a scoop people and be prepared for the worst. Then if the worst doesn’t happen we’ll be even better prepared.
No one can answer #14 questions?
17 Lea,
Ya people are afraid. If you talk about our freedoms people either dont think your right I the head or dont want to talk about it. I would rather know the truth than live a lie.You wait. When this health care thing passes(and it will cause people are STUPID!) then they will start bitching and crying.Right behind that is Cap and tax. People dont plan on keeping your pay check.
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)
Good for this guy not going down without a fight.
r.o.e. if they pass this kind of bill to limit the information we will be in a downward spiral, and cannabis will be the last think we need to worry about.
Darn, it’s off topic but when you guys watch Harry Reid and the others pushing the health bill watch them, study them. They’re so damn phony.
Agree that we’re heading down the tubes R.O.E. and c. And when people do start complaining and crying they can kiss my arse because they’re not getting any sympathy from me.
Everything about our government is phony. Many are afraid to take off the blinders or are a part of it or fight it. I fight prohibiton for many reasons, freedom being one, but I wont let them trade free weed for my freedoms, They have already done this,theres no compromise in this. Stop our rights violation and return to the republic we should be.
Marijuana has always been a taboo subject as long as I have been living. In Harris County,(Houston) TX. Our Sheriff, Adrian Garcia wants us to pay taxes on a HUGE jail because of overcrowding. With him being a former pot smoker himself, he should know if he would just release the pot smokers, the jail would not be overcrowded anymore. Speak Up People, Freedom of Speech Rules. I wish freedom of choice between pot and alcohol was a reality.
Exactly Grandma 420. And sorry to hear you’re in Texas.
R.O.E. and others who give a rip: Our society has become far too complacent, (hope that’s the right word), lazy fits my thoughts well though. Lazy because of having tons of responsibilities hoisted upon ourselves, work, home, family, volunteer responsibilities, and yes, religious interference or religious indoctrination meaning, think my way or else you’re not a good this or that. (trust me, in Utah that’s the general rule).
Along with the above many people are weary, over tired and down right non-productive. Now, that doesn’t apply to all however, it does apply to a large number of people being buffeted around a wind-blown sea like a cork.
Then we get into the “moral” junk that keeps being shoved down our throats. Like the majority of people don’t see or understand how to be a good person.
R.O.E., we’ve cited the patent here — see http://blog.mpp.org/research/study-marijuana-may-protect-against-brain-damage-from-binge-drinking/08212009/#more-1328 — and I’ve actually held up a copy on national TV. But everyone should understand that legally, a patent on cannabinoids is not the same thing as a patent on the plant from which they come.
I keep hearing people saying vote vote vote. Well after the voting is all done not a damn thing EVER changes. I have seen this for so many years that I stopped voting. I don’t know anyone who counts votes and I don’t know anyone whos’ vote counts for s@#t. When they come to my door to remove my last rights I will vote with my two best friends Smith and Wesson.
Feel the same way about voting. I just shut up anymore about it though, except for now. Part of it is our antiquated electoral voting system, or whatever the heck it’s called. It was established when transportation was slow and horse and buggy were used. We really should move to the popular vote.
I am to the point in my life though where if a friend, relative, or acquaintance doesn’t support legalization of cannabis then I will not have anything to do with them. My little way of revolting I guess. I certainly don’t need them in my life if they can’t properly think through Prohibition.
Power over someone or people really ruins even the best of intentions. Humans can’t handle the power they receive, it turns them into utter idiots.
All I want to do is smoke pot so I can relax and feel happy.
What’s so damn wrong with that?
(and I do have a medical need).
Thanks Bruce.
If you don’t vote , you can’t bitch later!
Things ARE getting better because of the voting. The new president has called off the hounds on state-legal mj users. State after state is moving in the right direction. It’s important to keep building on the small steps if we ever want to achieve the big ones. Register today; vote every chance we get!
Also, in most states, if you don’t register to vote, you can’t serve on a jury. A jury trial is the last best defense of freedom; never convict anyone charged under an unjust law! Google “jury nullification” if you want to read more, but…
Register
Vote
Serve on juries.
We the people really DO have the power!
Bruce maybe you can help my confusion:
On the DEA website, they say things like:
“…there are more effective medications currently available.”
“Advocates have promoted the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions such as glaucoma. However, this is a good example of more effective medicines already available.”
“THC was shown to be less effective than standard treatments in helping cancer patients regain lost appetites.”
“Marijuana has no medical value that can’t be met more effectively by legal drugs.”
Here’s my confusion:
When I read the CSA it doesn’t say that to be of medical use for treatment that the substance has to be the most effective form of treatment. All it says is that there is use for treatment.
You’re not confused, DarthNole. Neither the CSA nor any FDA regulation requires that a drug be the best medicine for any particular illness. In reality, of course, there is no such thing. Even the drug that may be preferred in most cases will fail for some patients, or some may have a bad reaction to it. That’s why we have more than one painkiller, etc., etc., etc.
Well Bruce, I am allergic to 98% of all pharmaceuticals, as many people are so their claims are nothing but more lies. Same ole’ sickening same ole’.
And, please respond, no response has hurt my feelings. Even a “don’t know” would be better than silence. Thank you.
Is the amount of cannabis related articles on the Lancet worth creating an account?
We can’t possibly respond to every post on here, but the answer to Lea’s question is that mj.-related articles in the Lancet may only happen a few times a year, but they’re often interesting. Since the account doesn’t cost anything, I’d say go for it.
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