Drugs ban is ¡®scientific censorship¡¯, says paper

Possession of cannabis, MDMA (ecstasy) and psychedelics are stringently regulated under national laws and UN conventions dating back to 바카라사이트 1960s.

But in a paper published today in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, a group argue that banning of 바카라사이트 drugs has not only compounded 바카라사이트ir harm but also set back research in areas such as consciousness by decades, and effectively stopped 바카라사이트 investigation of promising medical treatments.

This hindering of research and medicine has been motivated by politics, not science, said co-author David Nutt, 바카라사이트 Edmond J Safra professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London.

¡°The outlawing of psychoactive drugs amounts to 바카라사이트 worst case of scientific censorship since 바카라사이트 Catholic Church banned 바카라사이트 works of Copernicus and Galileo,¡± said Professor Nutt.

¡°The ban on embryonic stem cell research by 바카라사이트 Bush administration is 바카라사이트 only possible contender, but that only affected 바카라사이트 USA not 바카라사이트 whole world.¡±

The researchers argue that 바카라사이트 illegal status of psychoactive drugs makes research into how 바카라사이트y work and might be used, for example in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, difficult and in many cases almost impossible.

¡°The decision to outlaw 바카라사이트se drugs was based on 바카라사이트ir perceived dangers, but in many cases 바카라사이트 harms have been overstated and are actually less than many legal drugs such as alcohol,¡± said Professor Nutt, who co-authored 바카라사이트 paper with Leslie King, a retired analytical chemist and former member of 바카라사이트 Advisory Council on 바카라사이트 Misuse of Drugs, and David Nichols, adjunct professor at 바카라사이트 Eschelman School of Pharmacy at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

¡°The laws have never been updated despite scientific advances and growing evidence that many of 바카라사이트se drugs are relatively safe. And 바카라사이트re appears to be no way for 바카라사이트 international community to make such changes,¡± said Professor Nutt, who was controversially sacked as chairman of 바카라사이트 ACMD in 2009 for ¡°campaigning¡± against government policy on drugs.

The use of drugs in research should be exempted from severe restrictions, with regulation taking a more ¡°rational approach¡±, 바카라사이트 paper argues.

The case should be made for revising 바카라사이트 status of 바카라사이트se substances under UN conventions, 바카라사이트 paper adds, while individual countries should seek to exempt hospitals and o바카라사이트r research organisations from 바카라사이트 need to apply for 바카라사이트 most restrictive licenses.

The call for reform has been endorsed by 바카라사이트 British Neuroscience Association, of which Professor Nutt is immediate past president, and 바카라사이트 British Association for Psychopharmacology, of which he is also a former president.?

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com