"Alan Johnson sacked the Government’s chief drug adviser tonight over his remarks that drugs were less dangerous than alcohol and cigarettes.

The Home Secretary wrote to David Nutt, chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, asking him to resign after he had attacked Jacqui Smith, Mr Johnson’s predecessor, over the decision to make cannabis a Class B drug."

Full story here: timesonline.co.uk

Thoughts?

Anyone hear him on BBC Five Live this evening? Personally I agree with him, he had a job to advise the public on drugs and his advice based on scientific research has now got him sacked! I'm actually feeling quite annoyed on his behalf!

It may not surprise some of you but I'm annoyed and am composing a letter to the Home Sec. I'm asking him whose pocket he is in; the breweries, the pharmaceuticals, the moralists or the tabloid press scaremongers?

Interesting that the Govt. couldn't even put someone forward for interview on Channel 4 News.

Hmm

I saw this on the news feed on my phone... I thought he had just got a really shit batch of sniff in or something.

Pure prejudice by the government.

That grinds my gears too... If it has been proven to be more harmful (I'm presuming they have taken addiction rates etc into account) then he is only making a blindingly obvious statement based on fact

"A source said: “Anything that appears to downgrade the dangers of drugs is just not acceptable and it should not have been said.” - what rubbish... he's commenting on an official report?? (was it his report??.. that comment should have read - we had to stop him showing the public that what we have decided is legal cos we can tax it through the roof it is actually pretty dangerous...

Just read in the news that a few people in that council are resigning over this!

NEWS FLASH::: Government is hypocritical....Really, what do we expect, they, politicians, are crooks. Read this morning that an MP is in the shit after routing 30k into his personal bank account from the EU so he could pay for wine and other expenses. I expect nothing less from thieving, lying charlatans…

He has a right to let the government know his opinions , however they have a right to not just use pure science when policy making.
He did not have a right to put it in the public domain, until he was not in that role.
Science is only one part of policy making surrounding issues such as drugs.

Yes, it's always better to ignore facts in politics. Better to pander to knee-jerk emotions any day.

Fact of the matter is most people would rather feel moral believing a lie, than feel contradicted believing the truth.

You are spot on!

Regardless of the facts, cannabis still shouldn't be downgraded. What benefit to society could that have?

Smoking weed nearly sent me mental, I was paranoid and depressed yet its still seen as the socially acceptable drug of choice. Best thing I ever did giving up.

What benefit to society is there in criminalizing otherwise law abiding people?

A student like yourself could be thrown off a course and forever have to explain to future employers why. Someone self-employed like myself who needs to travel abroad could be made unemployable with a criminal record.

Do you think that's reasonable just to protect the vested interests of breweries, textile manufacturers, pharmaceuticals etc?

Do you think it's reasonable that someone can be criminalized for imbibing something which grows naturally in their garden because his elected representatives are too cowardly to tell those he represents the truth?

And to Robin;

I'm sorry "weed" didn't work out for you. Maybe you were smoking something which has been produced as a result of prohibition? Maybe you were smoking too much, just like an alcoholic who drinks Special Brew for breakfast?

I don't drink as it doesn't suit me. It would do neither me or society any favours if it were prohibited. History shows us that.

If I'm to be called a criminal I would like to know what harm I have done to society?

A laissez faire approach to corruption and ignorance?

Stevie, I smoked a lot everyday for a very long time and agree that in moderation its fine but I also know that its a hard keeping it on moderation, anything else I can give or take, I drink a lot at the weekend but hardly anything in the week whereas I used to crave a bong when I was younger. Mebbe that says something about me.

Should your immoderate use be used as a reason to criminalize me?

What if I were to turn the argument upon you? I've lived with the dark side of alcohol therefore you are prohibited from your weekend's enjoyment. You'd better keep an eye over your shoulder because that sneaky half you're drinking in the alleyway could land you in prison. Goodbye career, goodbye prospects. You would like, so not like that ;-)

I get so annoyed every time some mother pops up on television fighting for me to be criminalized because her dopey son went off the rails. "He was such a lovely boy until he started smoking huge spliffs all day everyday........."

I also get annoyed every time some doctor pops up on television with spurious statistics; this person presented themselves with mental health issues, he is a smoker, ergo smoking led to his mental health issues.

No but by lowering it's classification it's sending a message that it's ok which it isn't, the demographic of your normal cannabis smoker is generally teenagers who as we all know will abuse it, I did, my mates did (a lot still do) and I'm sure a lot of people on here did. Alcohol abuse is generally brought about by issues already in place whereas cannabis abuse brings about mental issues.

Obviously though things affect different people in different ways, I prefer the person I am now without being stoned 24/7 but I still look on jealously when my mates are having a smoke on a Sunday after a heavy weekend, I just know I can't do it.

me 2 but loved it up till then like lots of my friends, smoking it know would end we but still think its these bad for you than many other things!!