PayPal
BitCoin
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
RSS
iTunes

DoseNation Podcast

Weekly news, talk, and interviews. More »

SUGGEST A STORY  |   CREATE AN ACCOUNT  |  
DoseNation.com

Alcohol more dangerous than ecstasy, LSD and cannabis

Professor Nutt is at it again, scolding the British Government for classifying illegal drugs based on political prejudice instead of harmfulness.

The British Government's chief drug adviser has sparked controversy by claiming ecstasy, LSD and cannabis are less dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol.

Professor David Nutt, chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, attacked the decision to make cannabis a class B drug.

He accused former home secretary Jacqui Smith, who reclassified the drug, of "distorting and devaluing" scientific research.

Prof Nutt said smoking cannabis created only a "relatively small risk" of psychotic illness. And he claimed advocates of moving ecstasy into class B from class A had "won the intellectual argument".

All drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, should be ranked by a "harm" index, he said, with alcohol coming fifth behind cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, and methadone.

Tobacco should rank ninth, ahead of cannabis, LSD and ecstasy.

Prof Nutt said: "No one is suggesting that drugs are not harmful. The critical question is one of scale and degree. We need a full and open discussion of the evidence and a mature debate about what the drug laws are for - and whether they are doing their job."

Thanks Mr. Tumnus!

Posted By jamesk at 2009-10-29 11:40:04 permalink | comments
Facebook it! Twitter it! Digg it! Reddit! StumbleUpon It! Google Bookmark del.icio.us technorati Furl Yahoo! Bookmark
» More ways to bookmark this page


zach. : 2011-05-30 05:31:21
you guys gotta realize, everyone is different when it comes to drug interpretation. some people do enjoy alcohol more and they can function better drunk than high. even Mary Jane effects people differently. I know people that it hits hard and very intense. plus, I know of other drugs that are even less harmful for you than pot. you guys ever try dmt? the only drug I think that actually has zero negative effects (whereas I believe pot has almost none or negligible bad side effects). granted you can lose your mind if you don't have a firm grasp. lsd is also another positive drug that has actually shown to make one smarter at low doses. there are others too, while they can be more dangerous shouldn't be an issues because we all need to exercise caution and respect for what we do.
bottom line, don't yell at people for drinking or whatever they do. its their choice and if they don't do what you like its okay, that is why we all are different.
anonymous . : 2011-02-11 11:28:08
if everyone was on weed the world would be a happier place
Marxist Mac. : 2010-12-15 15:26:49
You people do realize that if Ecstacy was legal it would no longer be "dirty" don't you? the reason it I now is that being illegal there is no way of regulating what goes into it. when alcohol was illegal it was frequently cut with embalming fluid. you cannot cite a symptom of prohibition as a reason to continue prohibition.
Haha. : 2010-12-14 19:55:52
What a good cunt. Ecstasy though, is a bit dirtier than Alcohol.
guest : 2010-12-14 16:53:34
"Ecstasy is the dirtiest thing out there, atleast i know what in my alcohol. good stuff for trying to support cannabis, but fuck supporting ecstasy."

I have to disagree. Given, ecstasy is known to be mixed with cutting agents, but usually if you know your source, this isn't an issue. Also, a form of this drug exists that is supposed to be pure MDMA, called "molly". The thing is, I couldn't imagine anyone using ecstasy and causing trouble, getting in a fight, or doing much of anything but love everyone and everything in sight.

You might know what you're drinking, but for christ sake, its much easier to get alcohol poisoning and die that to take too much E and die. It's far easier to puke your guts out, get in a fight, and make bad decisions when you are drunk. Anyone who has tried both of these substances would agree.

I'm not saying that E is safe, and alcohol isn't, but I agree with the good doctor that E is at least safER than alcohol. And it's just bad logic to support alcohol but not LSD, MDMA, and marijuana.

Jon Boy. : 2010-12-12 17:38:53
Ecstasy is the dirtiest thing out there, atleast i know what in my alcohol. good stuff for trying to support cannabis, but fuck supporting ecstasy.
Joe. : 2010-09-18 21:51:52
I immediately started thinking of all the Bill Hicks jokes towards this issue :P
"Good thing they're taxing alcohol. Pays for all those nice roads we can get fucked up and drive on!" lol

I've only done alcohol and pot in small doses but I fully agree with the article.
Does anyone have ANY answer as to why marijuana is illegal?

Devin123 : 2009-12-23 23:48:46
It's true that people dont get high then kill 3 innocent victims driving home. nor do they go home and beat ther wifes. now im not affiliated with either drug to try and pick sides. but cannabis have several medical and medicinal [[link] purposes, alcohol has only been found helpful in red and white wines indeed.
Nathan. : 2009-11-29 18:36:34
The last guest who said that he/she drinks daily and still functions in society was most likely drunk when they wrote this. Cannibus can be used daily by individuals who choose to still have a meaningful career. Alcohol, on the other hand cannot be used daily, unless in small doses. I was drunk for 3 strait months, got nothing done, and now after 3 weeks of sobriety have seen incredible changes.
"you". : 2009-11-19 11:45:10
everyones body works differently. what this boils down to is profit and gain. it doesnt matter what you and i prefer or what made him sick or who functions more properly with this or that. this is about someone wanting to a $. there is no profit should entheogens such as cannabis and mdma would be legal. people can argue about this all day. the idea is that alcohol and cigs do not provide any kind of unique experience, mythical state. creative expansion, or higher state of conciousness (one that could be attained by sitthing in a dark room and concentrating on breathwork. fact is, the puppets have control over all this. people drive drunk what happens? they get a ticket.. city makes money. courts make money.... the vicious cylce has already gone round and round. unless of course someone dies from drunk driving . then of course i need speak no further.
Robert. : 2009-11-05 03:09:47
According to the Guardian, he stated that "Cannabis, LSD and ecstasy, while harmful, are ranked lower at 11, 14 and 18 respectively." While it is true that all three of those are less harmful than alcohol, how does it make sense to rank ecstasy and LSD as less harmful than pot?
Evan. : 2009-11-05 03:04:33
Pot's laws are based on lies and outdated research. Over the years it's gotten a bad reputation and now everone (who doesn't smoke) thinks it's the worst thing in the world. It really makes me upset when I think about how many alcohal related deaths deaths ther are every year but still anyone over twenty one can buy it. Pot is and relitively harmless drug who's worst attribute consists of making the user lazy... Yet it remains illegal and putting people in jail. I think if everyone who drank regulary, smoked instead, this world would be a safer and more interesting place.
guest : 2009-11-05 01:02:00
also. marijuana has never been found a direct effect of any cancers or illnesses..
Andrew.. : 2009-11-05 00:59:51
well, like all drugs. marijuana and ecstacy are more then likely going to have semi different effects amoung people.. however when it comes down to the cold hard facts. people dont get high then kill 3 innocent victims driving home. nor do they go home and beat ther wifes. now im not affiliated with either drug to try and pick sides. but cannabis have several medical and medicinal perposes, alcohol has only been found helpful in red and white wines. where marijuana has also been found to basicaly do EVERYTHING but nuerish us as people..
guest : 2009-10-30 19:27:00
"Personally alcohol causes me the least problems. I can regularly drink alcohol and function in society. This same is not true with pot or ecstasy."

I guess everyone is different.. but I do not agree with you. I've been smoking cannabis daily for almost 10 years, and I still function properly in society. I have a good career-type job (that require education, not just a retail or restaurants) and I do well at it. And I know many people in similar situation as me, daily smokers with good jobs.

However, I also know many people who drank alcohol daily, for 5, 10, 20 years, and they all have problems with their liver, or weight (beer belly)

PoisonedV : 2009-10-30 14:40:17
If it's illegal it must be bad for you!
anonymous. : 2009-10-30 13:20:51
"I've had experience with pot, e, tobacco and alcohol.

Personally alcohol causes me the least problems. I can regularly drink alcohol and function in society. This same is not true with pot or ecstasy."

While that may be true for you the same can not be said for most. I personally could function off smoking cannabis everyday. Alcohol on the other hand I don't see anyone continuing function for too long if they kept up this regiment, especially if they're drinking for effect like I do for cannabis.

guest : 2009-10-30 13:18:24
"Personally alcohol causes me the least problems. I can regularly drink alcohol and function in society. This same is not true with pot or ecstasy."

So you can get drunk regularly and go to work etc with not so much as a HNT of a hangover???
I call bulls**t on you sir.
You are missing the value of his suggestion, if you get drunk every day, chances are that you have an addiction to alcohol, you will die of liver disease.
If you smoke cigarettes every day, you will probably die of lung cancer.
Cigarettes kill more people every year in britain that pot, amphetamines, MDMA, LSD and mushrooms COMBINED GLOBALLY.

Check your facts

Col mcg. : 2009-10-30 13:09:16
Well, Hes just been sacked!
compton. : 2009-10-30 13:08:42
To Anonymous - that will be why he got sacked: [link]
Anonymous. : 2009-10-30 12:52:43
I've had experience with pot, e, tobacco and alcohol.

Personally alcohol causes me the least problems. I can regularly drink alcohol and function in society. This same is not true with pot or ecstasy.

Anonymous. : 2009-10-30 07:33:43
What I don't understand is how Dr. Nutt got the job in the first place, or how he keeps it. He seems entirely too...rational?... to be in the position.

The comments posted here do not reflect the views of the owners of this site.

HOME
COMMENTS
NEWS
ARCHIVE
EDITORS
REVIEW POLICY
SUGGEST A STORY
CREATE AN ACCOUNT
RSS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
DIGG | REDDIT | SHARE