I think Alex learned his lesson not to carrying a discussion on drugs for more than an hour after Peter Hitchens impatiently walked off an interview because Alex allegedly was only interested in discussing “drugs” with Hitchens who wanted to go on to other topics. 🙃
It's pretty depressing that such a clear rational mind was removed from the government for being exactly a clear rational mind. Does anyone else feel a little bit sick from such a thing?
I remember few years back after my wife died, I was left alone with 3 kids. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got addicted to cocaine. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment changed my life for better. I can proudly say i'm totally clean for 6 years and still counting. Always look to nature for solution to tough problems, Shrooms are phenomenal.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES sure of mycologist Predroshrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, addiction. Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. I will pray for you all.
@@ashleysherlock5705 That is the point Sherlock but I can understand if you don't know. It's reference😊😊 See his interview with Peter Hitchens. Is your name _really_ Sherlock? Cool if it is.😎😎
My brother is one of the 5 people being prescribed medicinal cannabis, he's recently been taken off of phenytoin, which has pretty nasty long term effects, because the cannabis oil is so effective. He used to have anything from 10 to 100 seizures per day, and now its between 0 and 5 per week. The change to his quality of life is hard to overstate.
I had cannabis prescribed before the legalisation for everyone in canada . Cannabis is safer than all the sleeping pills big pharma have on the market .
Nutt was working for govt.for free! ACMD members are unpaid. What good is it for anyone to be an expert who's advice is not only ignored by government but actually used as a stick to beat one?
This is such an important, but profoundly depressing interview. Society should be so grateful for people like these guys who try to stick to evidence and push back against the insanity of misinformed, righteous do-gooders.
what's worse is how illegal drug trade fuels trafficking of arms and people. making things illegal isn't a very effective way of getting addicts out of their cycle, often obstructs getting them rehabilitated (by putting them in jail instead of effective treatment and getting them jobs and social support) and it is a very effective way of enriching the black market. the do-gooders in this scenario are doing much more harm than good. they're acting as a shield for the corrupt portions of law enforcement and government that benefit from these black markets and "tough on crime" fakery.
What a great video from two intelligent and sensible people. I was enthralled. Thank you so much Alex and David. All the best. Please, please keep on with the message..
I was asked by a doctor not long ago if I take any recreational drugs, I said "No", she then asked if I drink... I said "No, that's a recreational drug." She gave me a confused look for just a second before continuing LOL. Why is alcohol not considered a drug? I find it so weird.
Quick story: My neighbor once banged on my door at 4 A.M. asking if I had any alcohol- He said he was at risk of having a seizure/dying from alcohol withdrawal and no stores are open. Too many young drinkers are not aware how dangerous alcohol can be.
Well technically true, but your neighbor wasn't anywhere close to that if he has able to get to your door! But I have to agree on Alcohol being by far the worst! Also because its dangerous 😂 what's not dangerous, I mean taking a bath is one of the biggest killer in the world but I don't think anyone has ideas to prevent people getting into the shower because they might slip hit there head and die, happens constantly, not to mention car or walking!
If you ever want to talk about the drug crisis in Scotland, get in touch. I've written two books touching the topic. Love your work. Been following you since the early days.
as a Mexican, I'd greatly appreciate if US could stop selling guns to cartels, decriminalize drugs, fix their healthcare system to prevent and attend addiction so people stop dying on both sides of the border
I'd greatly appreciate if cartels could stop sending illegals across the border; if they could stop smuggling fentanyl; if they could stop s$lling wom3n, and ch1Idr3n as $3x slaves. What more decriminalizing of drugs do you even wish for? There's no "fix" to the healthcare system. Economics deals with trade-offs- not solutions. It'd be great to get rid of most socialist forms of healthcare though. And people in Mexico aren't suffering because of guns, instead, it's because of the gun users.
I'd greatly appreciate if cartels could stop sending 1ll3g@ls across; if they could stop smuggling fentanyl; if they could stop s$lling wom3n, and ch1Idr3n as slaves. What more decriminalizing of drugs do you even wish for? There's no "fix" to the healthcare system. Economics deals with trade-offs- not solutions. It'd be great to get rid of most socialist forms of healthcare though. And people in Mexico aren't suffering because of guns, instead, it's because of the gun users.
I'd greatly appreciate if cartels could stop sending 1ll3g@ls across; if they could stop smuggling fentanyl; if they could stop s$lling wom3n and ch1Idr3n as slaves. What more decriminalizing of drugs do you even wish for? There's no "fix" to the healthcare system. Economics deals with trade-offs- not solutions. It'd be great to do away with most socialist forms of healthcare though. And the problem is not the guns, instead, it's because of the users.
Let's talk about the larger issue that the people controlling drugs aren't better people than anyone else and have zero right to tell others what they can have.
In the 2024 UK GE I stood as an independent candidate on a platform of five policies, one of which was an evidence based approach to UK drug law / withdrawal from the USA's catastrophic war on drugs. It's so important to keep this debate going, great podcast.
I just wanted to make a comment about what Alex said with respect to psychedelics showing decreased brain activity. It's not true that there's a net decrease in brain activity on psychedelics. Rather, it's that some areas show reduced activity while others show heightened activity, and it roughly equals out such that there is no net increase or decrease in overall brain activity. There's basically a redistribution of brain activity, not an increase or decrease. Certain particular areas may increase or decrease, but the brain as a whole does not decrease its activity on psychedelics.
Yeah, I found that part dubious. It's no great revelation that certain parts of the brain regulate and inhibit certain behaviours, and that psychoactive drugs (including boring old alcohol) decrease inhibition by shutting these down. Alex here is only a step or two away from tedious "psychedelic mysticism" woo.
Glad you corrected this. I was bothered by this slip in Scientific accuracy, and it reminded me how rife the subject is with pseudo-science. No discussion is more easy to dismiss on the grounds of complacency than the drugs and addiction debate, and I believe there is real hope in the treatment of addiction with psychedelic therapy.
@@Mr.Artude Yeah, I'm not sure why so many people think that psychedelics decrease brain activity. I'm not sure where this idea comes from and who perpetuated it, but there's many people who think this is true. And I could see why it would be weird if psychedelics actually did decrease overall brain activity given the experiences people have on them, but it's just not true. Overall brain activity stays the same, but it gets redistributed to other areas that aren't normally as active, and it decreases in some of the areas that are normally active. But I agree, I don't like it when people keep perpetuating this (not saying that Alex did this on purpose) myth because it might turn some people off of psychedelics who might otherwise have profound experiences and even treat their addictions in the process if used correctly.
@@phillipjackson1517 well said. I believe the benefit I derived from increased brain malleability, which can also be dangerous if the experience is traumatic and is why the conditions (environment) are so important.
David Nutt is a national treasure. I had the pleasure of talking to him after a lecture a few years ago, he's such a deeply knowledgeable and humble guy
The arrogance. Like they see themselves as part of a different species for whom the objections and harm don't apply, but supposedly the commoners/ working class lack something thus harm prevention is required, I.e. prohibition
I remember various headlines. QE2 after Charles 40th (cocaine usage). Another in more recent years, the debris from cocaine taking found around parliament. Look at the ay they argue like children, all fuelled up... Tell me that's no cocaine fuelled and I'll be laughing for a week
What a legend prof. Nutt is! I was first introduced to him when he made an appearance on a Norwegian television show that had an episode about cannabis. He made such a great character to an otherwise awesome episode.
This was a beautifully conducted interview. Bravo. Never was much of a drug advocate, and now I'm ready to get my pitchforks and torches, to get government to stop their nonsense
Lots of people turn to drugs because of suffering. Plain old suffering. Continuous pain from diseases, injuries or mental health issues force people to seek coping strategies. Those seeking a new thrill is but a small group compared to the rest.
Lots of people use drugs to cope with a society that doesn't give a sh*t. Calling that "mental health issues" is just society's way of blaming the victims.
100% People who do drugs aren't the irresponsible, feckless, "just want to have fun" people we've been presented. When I did drugs, it was because being in my own head was so painful I just needed a break, and that was on adolescence when I was starting to see the world as it really was.
As an addict for 19 years myself, whilst I can't speak for everyone, from what I've experienced and seen within our outcast community... it's 100% to escape pain. Every time. When you drill down to the truth of it. Any pain. Physical, emotional, mental. We are all just trying to get some relief and drugs provide that. Though ultimately it becomes a vicious circle because being an addict just brings more pain to want to escape from. By taking more drugs. And around it goes. But we are not all scum at all. You wouldn't even know I was an addict at first glance. No one I know dreams of being an addict when they grow up. Life happens. We find ourselves in this situation and many of us never make it out. Condemned by society. When what we really need is to be connected, supported, validated as people. Not just addict scum.
@@samantharogers1128 I really feel for you. It really really sucks to have to live with pain. Most people can be thankful that they don't understand it.
@@chinoto1Both spellings are correct but I suppose "Czar" is more etymologically accurate Also fun fact, the first person to be titled tsar is Simeon the Great of Bulgaria
I recently saw Peter Hitchens in a prison documentary where he and some former criminals spent time behind bars. One of his conversations was with a former gangster from Newcastle called Chet Sandu in which Peter Hitchens shamed some of the inmates for smoking weed and then said that Cannabis does more harm than alcohol and that cannabis can make someone beat a child to death or something along those lines. If you advocate alcohol to be legal then you cannot possibly prohibit someone consuming cannabis. My father is an alcoholic who has a fatty liver and I would much rather he smoked a joint when he came home from work than crack open a bottle of wine! Alcohol kills thousands of people in the UK every year whilst cannabis kills nobody.
@@mark4asp Sorry but medical cannabis is an absolute god send and I am going to say you are completely mis guided, alcohol on the other hand should be banned.
I love professor nutt.. he saved me from a life of natural bad acid trip feelings around the time I was diagnosed with psychosis. Maybe brain swelling but the professor recognised this whereas no other psychiatrist did.. I was re prescribed with a new anti psychotic & also diazepam.. within a few months after some reduction of symptoms of this bad trip slowly I am now through this dark dark period of my life.. much love to this man. Loved meeting him
I’m from Bristol and I worked in a restaurant where one day I saw Prof Nutt . he was having a meal and glass of wine . I checked if he was having a good time with food and with his drink and I apologised for not offering MDMA . My manager heard the conversation and gave me an incredible telling off while prof Nutt laughed with his companion.
@@KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2jeyou’re right. I’d does however exemplify the fact that many activities and substances are dangerous, yet we accomodate these dangers. Unburned diesel particulate is very dangerous; a powerful carcinogen, yet we “can’t do without trucks”. Fair enough. House riding, motor cycling, deep sea fishing, paragliding…. All very dangerous and not necessary, but enjoyable and part of many people’s relaxation and winding down. Parity is key- if the basis of the argument isn’t couched in logic and parity, it looks dogmatic and intellectually weak.
In 2010 i was coming to the end of a 2yr sentence for selling ecstasy tablets to a few friends. I heard about professor Nutt getting sacked in prison. I feel very angry especially as he confirmed what we already knew. We took ecstasy because we didn't want to take alcohol. We just wanted to dance and be peaceful.
Some 'drugs' are bad in large quantities. Alcohol shouldn't be banned but neither should cannabis either. I'd even question as to why hard drugs shouldn't be legal. Make all drugs a medical issue rather than a criminal one. The biggest killer at the moment is food. Our population is unhealthy and obese.
I've been a H addict for 22 years, always worked, the hardest thing was getting a reliable supply of decent stuff and money, if it was prescribed I could of lived quite a normal life. Meth just doubles your habit. Just out of rehab but only 1 in 10 people stay clean for a year and 1 in 20 won't be here in a year.
This would have happened to this man here in Sweden as well. Sweden has a zero policy on drugs - even though you can get most illegal drugs very easily if you want - that even spills over into the field of medicinal use of drugs like opiates, benzodiazepins, weak amphetamine for ADHD patients etc. It's literally extremely hard to get a small bottle of cough syrup or a few tramadol tablets the legal way, unless the doctor is brave enough to go against the authorities and consensus, which most aren't.
@@jasminejacob1870 As long as it is just for personal use the "official" punishment is just a fine, but if you are a gun owner, you will lose all your guns and if you have a driving license you will either lose it or have to prove through tests for several years - at your own expense - that you are not using drugs anymore to keep it. And you may have your children taken from you, lose your job and so on. So the consequences are draconic, unless you are a criminal through and through already...
Yes, it's an interesting case. In almost any other way, Sweden is highly rational, open-minded, secular, individualistic, modern, caring for the poor and willing to try new things and change. One would have thought this should lead to a more Dutch-ey stance, but no. We're positively christian republican on the issue. Attitudes however are changing fast so we can expect political change soon. Drugs cut right through our political spectrum, with historically only very liberal types making it their stand-out feature to de-criminalize. The same people wanted to deregulate ...well everything. Sweden did so on many fronts and it hasn't turned out too well (think schools, trains and such); perhaps the neoliberal face-plant helped the 'cause-drugs-are-baaad people to keep the hate up. These days every expert here says basically the same as Nutt. Change is coming. I mean, Germany isn't exactly known for its socially liberal mindedness and they already started. Soon it'll get too embarrassing to be "responsible" and aim for zero drugs by way of penalties. Reminds me of religious people, when asked how they know God's for real, answering "I know because I know because I know". Well, right then. You certainly convinced me.
@@bjorsam6979 Yet somehow Sweden will censor any fair objection against immigration or the appalling behaviour of many immigrants. Freedom of press is being suppressed when the press cannot tell the objective facts of a beheading carried out by people of a certain background because of political correctness. Sweden is no more "rational" or whatever label you want to apply, it just happens to align with your opinions.
There was prohibition in Wick in Scotland from 1922 to 1947! All pubs were closed, and you couldn’t buy alcohol in shops. The Old Pulteney distillery had to close, and bootlegging became rife.
If only we had the luxury of a having a government that's willing to have a grown up conversation about the drug question. The cliched phrase of "I'd like to thank drugs for winning the war on drugs" actually rings true. Those in power are fully aware that the tired old punitive approach does not work and will never will, yet none of them are brave enough to face that fact and level with the public. A decriminalised, treatment based, therapeutic based approach has been shown to provide far better results over a punishment and criminalisation based approach.
Take a look at the statistics of how much money have been used on the drug war on USA, wonder what the average citizen thinks of that, literally tens of billions right down the drain.
@@MrCmon113 I'm not sure that's true. It's possible for something to have significant benefits and also to cause significant harm, whether that be as a side-effect, or in relation to dose, or whatever. I guess the ideal is to balance potential benefits against potential harm, but I can understand the argument for a simple prioritisation of harm minimisation especially in cases where the benefits are primarily recreational.
He says Alcohol is does the most damage. It might do the most physical damage, but smoking weed turns your mind to mush, which is far worse in my opinion.
Being honest here, I started watching this while I was shaving and trimming my facial hair. The moment the sponsor came on, and Alex mentioned being productive, some water splashed on the screen and sped up the video x2. Even my phone can't argue with tash man's power. Great video as always, engaging from the get go 👏
Mr. Nut, you speak truth to power. In years to come, you'll be hailed for your honesty, and the future will see them as deniers and politically sell outs who were liers who punished someone who was a head of their time. My hat is off to you, my friend. I hope you'll write a book! I'd buy it!!! Best of luck. Even though it is a big slap in the face, what they have done to you, remember, you're doing the right thing, and it takes brave people like you to do it. It's no small thing. Be proud !!! Thank you. USA 🇺🇸
I know this is shallow as hell but in terms of optics I think it's quite good to have somebody who looks like your classic socially conservative uncle who dislikes drugs but doesn't mind a drink or five repping this perspective. cheers guys.
@m420-nd1if optics usually are. But optics determines votes which determines policy. I'd much rather have someone in a suit with a real education advocating for drug legalization than some hippy with long hair and an obsession with the new age
I would call myself an expert on drugs , legal and illegal. Politicians have caused all the problems we have now with new compounds. Before at least the emergency services used to know what to do when there were just the main drugs. They should have legalised cannabis in the early eighties. I have seen perfectly good working people have their lives ruined being put in prison for essentially smoking at home with their friends. Nicotine is the entry drug followed by achohol. Half the government were doing coke at one point and the BBC , I don't like coke myself drug for people with no personality and too much money, but hypocrisy is rife.
i had a massively strong cup of coffee this morning and my brain is tingling. ive drank loads and loads of water since and am still coming down. half life of five or six hours means ill be shaking for at least a couple more hours now and i regret deeply that i didnt dose properly.
Aw! I love David Nutt. He seems like such a pleasant, friendly, down-to-earth guy. This is such a great chat! He's actually the antithesis of stern, stuck-up Peter Hitchens. :)
I just love how being strict about drug use inevitably leads to more dangerous drugs and even more dangerous organizations. Policing is what gives drugs their valuation on the black market… and it incentivizes stronger drugs that take up less space- in other words it incentivizes higher potency and violence used to distribute it. There is a direct correlation of more and more militarized policing and drug deaths. The more we escalate the war- the more drug deaths. It’s insane that we keep doing the same thing😢.
@@victor_2216take cannabis for example - growing it in a hurry (which is necessary if the operation is clandestine) causes it to be extremely THC-heavy and light on CBD which increases paranoia and psychosis in the user. I guess with fentanyl, only tiny doses are needed so less of it needs to be transported to make a profit than other opiates/opioids
@@victor_2216think about transporting a shipping container of opium poppy vs a briefcase of fentanyl. They both contain the same amount of opioid analgesia. Now think of how often you hear about people dying from fentanyl vs opium syrup.
@@victor_2216cus they make variants that skate by laws at the time and tend to have more detrimental side effects Like during prohibition with bathtub gin and moonshine making people go blind
@@victor_2216I am writing this comment again because UA-cam deletes it every time that I use the actual name of the substance. An entire shipping container of poppy flower bulbs has the same potency of a small purse of phent. Consider which you see more in the news.
I think the psychedelics allow our secondary ego to come out into our conscious self. There is a well known phenomenon of people having two separate identities living in the same brain when their corpus callosum is severed (either as a medical procedure or as a result of an accident). So we do have two people living under the same scull and only one of them is controlling our conscious self perception, while the other is living in the shadows, yet has immense influence on our decision making via corpus callosum. I believe the psychedelic drugs by sedating the brain make the presence of the second psyche come out of the shadows and become a bit more prevalent. And sometimes that door that is getting opened, is not shut when the drugs wear off, and the person learns to live with the shadow self moving into the passenger seat, rather than being confined to the trunk.
Great talk with the Prof. I admire Nutt immensely but here as in his book he does make some basic errors about cannabis. Growing under UV (rarely happens) or hydroponically has no effect on strength. Not all 1970s cannabis was low THC - I am old enough to remember Thai sticks and Nepalese temple balls. "Skunk" is not a specially dangerous extra strong type of weed, it is just a 1960's bred variety (originally called "Roadkill") which was taken to Amsterdam and popularised in the 80s as home growing became feasible. At about 16% average THC it is nothing like as strong as many Hazes or Gorilla Glue or Godfather OG (30%), let alone the 95% pure THC extracts you can buy in a vape cart or even dab in the form of THC Diamonds. . That is the strong stuff - and it still doesn't make you psychotic. Then there are the other 100 cannabinoids to consider...
Wow, this is one patient man. Thanks for the interview, very interesting! Also: I didn't know that politicians are actually drunk in parliament. Jesus Christ that is fucked up.
That's a bit backwards...they may have been misplaced in pursuing drugs so ardently but you make it sound like it was an excuse to create a global superpolice state.
Ok big rant time! I'm very passionate about this topic as I'd have some friends alive today that have sadly passed if only our government had listened to this man. It's so absurd that our government doesn't listen to experts to make policies. David Nutt could have made such a huge impact on the health of this nation. The solution to the drug issue in the UK is so glaringly obvious but simply won't happen due to silly political games and a thin veil of a false moral pretence. It's beyond frustrating that the health and wellbeing of a nation, especially those people who are often experiencing the most hardships, is placed below MP's political image. Taking the drugs market out of the shadows and into legality would almost completely wipe out police and government corruption by removing the main income stream from underworld organisations. It would also raise vast amounts of tax revenue that could be used not only to contribute towards funding the NHS and creating harm reduction practices, but I would go as far to say that we'd make massive headway towards fixing the deficit on the whole. Furthermore criminalising drug users does not benefit society or the individual, in fact it does more harm to both. Drug problems should be treated, not punished. We ought to be looking to reduce harm, not perpetuate it. It really is very simple.
In essence Peter Hitchen's is right, addiction is a failure of willpower, but so is his failure to give away all his wealth to charity. Everything good we fail to do can be said to be a failure of willpower, our failure to be perfect is a failure of willpower. It is a worthless point.
I genuinely really like him, we don't share many of the same opinions but he is honest in presenting his meticulously researched views, which is extremely rare...he's lived a very interesting life and is always worth listening to
The question to me is less the governments stance and more why normal everyday people actually just mindlessly accept that the governments nonsense is based upon a real consideration of human health and scientific evidence...
Normal, everyday people are stupid, deferential to authority, spiteful, cowardly, and eager to slurp up whatever propaganda is put in front of them. Of course they mindlessly accept the government's nonsense.
My exact thought while watching this and reading through comments also. People wondering why the government would do this to it's people. Why wouldn't it? They hate us.
@@d6mafia13 There's a compound in our brains and spines linked to neuroplasticity that can be found in all sorts of other complex organisms and is being research as a cure, yes, CURE, for altzehimers and other neurodegenerative diseases. Banned. But whatever the fuck Dow is putitng in the river where i get my water, that shits alright. Again, what really boils my blood isn't the plain evilness of it, but why the vast majority of people are willing to ignore how rotten it is and just go along It really is a Huxley-ian nightmare "you will love your servitude"
What he's saying on schizophrenia is not entirely true. To people who have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia smoking weed can advance the disease or cause its start. It's one of the most classic examples of interaction between nature and nurture in psychology books
I don't think that is what he said. He said it is because weed with high levels of THC is all that's available in this country uk. If we legalised it and we're able to regulate it, we would understand that CBT has anti anxiety effects. Non psychoactive. THC at low doses can help with anxiety, but the cannabis available in this country illegally has high levels of THC, and is highly psychoactive.
@@EliisK6 The weed products legal in countries which legalized weed all have extremely high THC concentrations as well, and there is nothing to stop a person from just taking more low THC edibles or smoking more weed so legalization doesn't realistically do anything to solve that problem. I'm not against legal weed, it's legal where I am and I haven't noticed any real problems from legalization, but it doesn't really help with any problems either. It's just sort of a neutral thing that has very little impact on anything. Decriminalizing hard drugs in bigger cities has been a nightmare though, as well as the needle dispensaries, those are a scourge on the big cities here and I am glad to be as far away as possible from those policies. Those cities are disgusting now. It was better when they could just arrest these people and get them off the street for their own safety and everyone else's. At least now they are looking at implementing involuntary care facilities, and while it would be nice if they helped these people, I think the main benefit is just getting them away from the public.
You do realize you can smoke less, right? And don't confuse things with some anecdote that an idiot wouldn't do so. In America you can get many different strengths, the Reggie regular you must smoke more and the high isn't that good. Look at what Cheech and Chong were smoking. Huge joints and often, because of crap weed
Prof Nutt is incredible! Have never taken recreational drugs in my life, nor do I ever intend to. However, for a lover of science, especially the cognitive domain, and a seeker of truth, his books have been paradigm shifting. How brilliant to see Prof Nutt here!
What Alex and Eric failed to discuss and take into consideration about why people take to drugs is the fact of the struggles to cope with life, which most of us who have really struggled to just get by on back breaking jobs, which was pretty-much, the everyday struggle of the truly working stiff, and not the pampered generations of our 21st century. For example, the peasantry of the middle ages, worked six/seven days from before sunrise to sundown at physically demanding tasks and at the end of the day, a little fleeting moment of joy brought on by alcohol made life less intolerable. 19th century we still have men, women, and even children working long hours at mind numbing, back breaking, hazardous jobs that created wealth for the leisure upper class and some opportunities for those of lesser means, but alcohol was still the easiest mind soothing drug for the masses. Even in the early 1960’s, as a common field laborer, i worked all summer school vacations, as a teenager, along side the Mexican bracerros, and the Saturday weekend at the brothels and alcohol mood-enhancing bars was the only salve for these tired souls in a sleepy agricultural community. Since the 1850’s, i allege, those prohibitionists for the most part, were educated ladies and gents who did not have to truly strain under the yoke from sun up to sundown to make a living, and therefore had time to indulge in curtailing the one source of mental escape from the everyday misery of the working under class. I understand why the poor, the disenfranchised, the uneducated turn to alcohol, or other momentarily delusional escape from reality like religion, to cope in this harsh existence. I’m 80 years of age, and will continue to have my daily couple of shots of straight 80 proof booze until they pry my dead fingers from my shot glass. 2X🥃 😱 🙃👍 😜
@@lordmew5 You might want to thank your upbringing, environment, and your genetics to not fall into "degeneracy" . At the moment it is very likely any person born at this moment will try alcohol in their life time and might get addiction. If you are person who has never drank any alcohol my hats to you, as a person who has never been drunk, but has drunk some. I think it sad, you think you are above people, because of things you have had no control over.
@@dalkflamemastel4542 Sure, but anyone who chooses drugs should automatically have every right revoked as far as I'm concerned. I think it's sad that you want to play defense for druggies probably because you are one.
@dalkflamemastel4542 I was close to getting addicted to alcohol thank God I stopped my high-school friends group isnall addicted to alcohol and I chose marijuana with a few friends
Addiction is heavily due to trauma, especially in childhood. You dont want to live the lives addicts have had to live before they became addicts. To many, the difference between using and not is literally this 'i dont want to live anymore, but i can use this substance and actually feel fine... feel some relief for once. It gives them hope to stay alive.
Love that Alex kept this under an hour, definelty so he could say he’d never spent an hour talking about nothing but drugs😂.
Man oh man that was one special interview for sure...
@@luczeiler2317With special people, you get special interviews
true, he is just so OBSESSED with drugs
I think Alex learned his lesson not to carrying a discussion on drugs for more than an hour after Peter Hitchens impatiently walked off an interview because Alex allegedly was only interested in discussing “drugs” with Hitchens who wanted to go on to other topics. 🙃
@hectormata449 the autism is strong with this one
It's pretty depressing that such a clear rational mind was removed from the government for being exactly a clear rational mind. Does anyone else feel a little bit sick from such a thing?
Yes, I do, absolutely.
Yes. Disgusted.
A peek in the mind of conspiracy theorists perhaps.
How dare He talk sense and try to save lives!...ah we're all fecked lads(same woes here in Ireland)
‘’Five fingers! ’’ he said holding up four fingers 😂
George Orwell….1984
I have been here for an HOUR and you've talked about nothing but drugs!!
Did you read the title?😁
@@andythomas4998 It's a reference to the Peter Hitchens interview.
😂😂 It'll make Alex laugh. Probably why he's interviewed David Nutt. 😉😉
hey its 59 minutes! he would never!
🤣
David Nutt is a wonderful human being. Great interview.
Dogshit
I remember few years back after my wife died, I was left alone with 3 kids. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got addicted to cocaine. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment changed my life for better. I can proudly say i'm totally clean for 6 years and still counting. Always look to nature for solution to tough problems, Shrooms are phenomenal.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES sure of mycologist Predroshrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, addiction. Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Thanks for sharing your story. That's rough I sympathize. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health. I will pray for you all.
Can I Google this dude? How can I find him
Yes he's Predroshrooms. I know few friends who no longer suffer ptsd and anxiety with the help of shrooms. Never had to take shrooms after then.
alex, you're OBSESSED with drugs
I get this reference
I was gonna like your comment, but I don't wanna spoil that perfect number.
@@ashleysherlock5705 That is the point Sherlock but I can understand if you don't know. It's reference😊😊 See his interview with Peter Hitchens.
Is your name _really_ Sherlock? Cool if it is.😎😎
@@andymcpandy2128 I'm guessing it's gone up by about 10! Currently at 79
He said it himself 😆 If u choose to use, beware of the abuse.
My brother is one of the 5 people being prescribed medicinal cannabis, he's recently been taken off of phenytoin, which has pretty nasty long term effects, because the cannabis oil is so effective. He used to have anything from 10 to 100 seizures per day, and now its between 0 and 5 per week. The change to his quality of life is hard to overstate.
Great to hear that man, I hope there's no threat to his supply of cbd. Wish it had of been available for my brother with cerebral palsy in New Zealand
Theres more than 5 lol
It is good to hear that the oil works so well for him. I hope that his drs report this!
❤❤❤
@@TheBanana93 Just what I was gonna say... I know of 2 and I don't exactly know many people lmao
I had cannabis prescribed before the legalisation for everyone in canada . Cannabis is safer than all the sleeping pills big pharma have on the market .
The Nutty Professor is the sort of person who should be working for the government. Disgusting that he was fired for doing a good job.
They don't like the truth, he's lucky they didn't disapear him tbh........
Nutt was working for govt.for free! ACMD members are unpaid.
What good is it for anyone to be an expert who's advice is not only ignored by government but actually used as a stick to beat one?
I am anti-war on drugs, but this guy is a bit of a conspiracy peddler. The government probably made the right call.
Too many on the list already … priorities please !
Prof Nutt is too SANE for them it's the politricksters that are coked up pissed nutters.....
This is such an important, but profoundly depressing interview. Society should be so grateful for people like these guys who try to stick to evidence and push back against the insanity of misinformed, righteous do-gooders.
what's worse is how illegal drug trade fuels trafficking of arms and people.
making things illegal isn't a very effective way of getting addicts out of their cycle, often obstructs getting them rehabilitated (by putting them in jail instead of effective treatment and getting them jobs and social support) and it is a very effective way of enriching the black market.
the do-gooders in this scenario are doing much more harm than good. they're acting as a shield for the corrupt portions of law enforcement and government that benefit from these black markets and "tough on crime" fakery.
Don't know if they are even do-gooders and not downright sadistic.
They're not do gooders they're either corrupt or ignorant!
Does that work on climate dogooders too?
Why call them dogooders?
Easily the best guest you will ever have. I can't believe you interviewed him. Respect!!!!!!! I have been chanting this guy's critique for years!
The guest’s bookshelf is fascinating. The conversation enlightning. The topic essential. Thank you Alex.
I love this man he's so brave and really interesting.. he tried to hold the government accountable for their lies...
Governments are frightened of people starting to think differently.
Yea we would organize similar but much smaller and more local basically hiw it all started again
The entire system is designed for conformity of thought and control. So... duh.
Yup fear psychology is very powerful.
@@TwisterTornado yes and no
@@TwisterTornado shi Sha Sha
What a great video from two intelligent and sensible people. I was enthralled. Thank you so much Alex and David. All the best. Please, please keep on with the message..
Truly fascinating, both in scientific and historical terms. Congratulations Alex and Dr. Nutt
Hitchens' behavior was APPALLING.
It's good to know that men like Nutt are willing to have an honest discussion on drugs and harm.
Exactly. I actually agree with Peter Hitchens on drugs but I was utterly shocked by his conduct (or lack thereof)
Peter has always been the gilded hammer to his brother's elegant fencing Sabre.
@@malgrosskreuz01 Say what you want about Peter Hitchens, safe to say that he did conduct himself.
Peter Hitchens is the awkward child personified, amusing on occasion but should be kept well away from any kind of responsibility
Peter may have a few points regarding the future of Britain but he is way too biased by his ideology to be intellectually honest. His mind is stale.
I was asked by a doctor not long ago if I take any recreational drugs, I said "No", she then asked if I drink... I said "No, that's a recreational drug." She gave me a confused look for just a second before continuing LOL. Why is alcohol not considered a drug? I find it so weird.
Coffee is also a drug, but I'm not sure if I drink it for recreational purposes at this point.
@@caiofernando I also do not drink caffeine, at least not intentionally, but yes you got me there, it is a drug, an addictive one at that 🤣
@edenl9975 The sugar you, well me, adds to my coffee is also addictive. Something known for decades.
And those caffeine withdrawal headaches suck. 😩
most drug takers won't admit taking drugs to their doctor! after all, it's against the Law in the UK,
It's also a solvent ... and utterly carcinogenic.
Quick story: My neighbor once banged on my door at 4 A.M. asking if I had any alcohol- He said he was at risk of having a seizure/dying from alcohol withdrawal and no stores are open. Too many young drinkers are not aware how dangerous alcohol can be.
Well technically true, but your neighbor wasn't anywhere close to that if he has able to get to your door! But I have to agree on Alcohol being by far the worst!
Also because its dangerous 😂 what's not dangerous, I mean taking a bath is one of the biggest killer in the world but I don't think anyone has ideas to prevent people getting into the shower because they might slip hit there head and die, happens constantly, not to mention car or walking!
It’s one of the only drugs that the withdrawals can actually kill you.
@@dogbog99 Benzos and Methadone can too.
@vladimirmihnev9702 alcohol has a short life so he could've legitimately gone into seriously dangerous withdrawals before stores open.
Be wary of booze ,a very underestimated drug. Be very aware.
David Nutt is a lovely, educated, pleasure of a man. What a great interview.
Whether drugs are personally distasteful to you or not, putting the volume of money into criminal hands that prohibition does is dumb AF.
Yep. Damn right you are.
I stopped selling weed once they legalized it. Not as profitable anymore.
If you ever want to talk about the drug crisis in Scotland, get in touch. I've written two books touching the topic. Love your work. Been following you since the early days.
Horses are crazy dangerous to ride….except when you’ve taken ecstasy….then they are just great to cuddle
Or going in a rave riding a horse 😂
@@adriendarnoux475 that would be epic carnage....especially if horse has some also
Then they become Unicorns, no?
😂
@@alexc7857 stop it - I’m getting a hard on
as a Mexican, I'd greatly appreciate if US could stop selling guns to cartels, decriminalize drugs, fix their healthcare system to prevent and attend addiction so people stop dying on both sides of the border
I'd greatly appreciate if cartels could stop sending illegals across the border; if they could stop smuggling fentanyl; if they could stop s$lling wom3n, and ch1Idr3n as $3x slaves. What more decriminalizing of drugs do you even wish for? There's no "fix" to the healthcare system. Economics deals with trade-offs- not solutions. It'd be great to get rid of most socialist forms of healthcare though. And people in Mexico aren't suffering because of guns, instead, it's because of the gun users.
@@victor_2216The audacity of the OPs reply was mind bending. Thank you.
I'd greatly appreciate if cartels could stop sending 1ll3g@ls across; if they could stop smuggling fentanyl; if they could stop s$lling wom3n, and ch1Idr3n as slaves. What more decriminalizing of drugs do you even wish for? There's no "fix" to the healthcare system. Economics deals with trade-offs- not solutions. It'd be great to get rid of most socialist forms of healthcare though. And people in Mexico aren't suffering because of guns, instead, it's because of the gun users.
@@bobhill4364 Tell me about it. Too bad YT is on his side and won't allow it.
I'd greatly appreciate if cartels could stop sending 1ll3g@ls across; if they could stop smuggling fentanyl; if they could stop s$lling wom3n and ch1Idr3n as slaves. What more decriminalizing of drugs do you even wish for? There's no "fix" to the healthcare system. Economics deals with trade-offs- not solutions. It'd be great to do away with most socialist forms of healthcare though. And the problem is not the guns, instead, it's because of the users.
Let's talk about the larger issue that the people controlling drugs aren't better people than anyone else and have zero right to tell others what they can have.
You misspelled Lager
@@DodInTheSky 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😎😎
@@DodInTheSky Legend.
In the 2024 UK GE I stood as an independent candidate on a platform of five policies, one of which was an evidence based approach to UK drug law / withdrawal from the USA's catastrophic war on drugs. It's so important to keep this debate going, great podcast.
I just wanted to make a comment about what Alex said with respect to psychedelics showing decreased brain activity. It's not true that there's a net decrease in brain activity on psychedelics. Rather, it's that some areas show reduced activity while others show heightened activity, and it roughly equals out such that there is no net increase or decrease in overall brain activity. There's basically a redistribution of brain activity, not an increase or decrease. Certain particular areas may increase or decrease, but the brain as a whole does not decrease its activity on psychedelics.
Psychedelics are consistently shown in fMRI scans to increase neuroplasticity and neurogenesis
Yeah, I found that part dubious. It's no great revelation that certain parts of the brain regulate and inhibit certain behaviours, and that psychoactive drugs (including boring old alcohol) decrease inhibition by shutting these down.
Alex here is only a step or two away from tedious "psychedelic mysticism" woo.
Glad you corrected this. I was bothered by this slip in Scientific accuracy, and it reminded me how rife the subject is with pseudo-science. No discussion is more easy to dismiss on the grounds of complacency than the drugs and addiction debate, and I believe there is real hope in the treatment of addiction with psychedelic therapy.
@@Mr.Artude Yeah, I'm not sure why so many people think that psychedelics decrease brain activity. I'm not sure where this idea comes from and who perpetuated it, but there's many people who think this is true. And I could see why it would be weird if psychedelics actually did decrease overall brain activity given the experiences people have on them, but it's just not true. Overall brain activity stays the same, but it gets redistributed to other areas that aren't normally as active, and it decreases in some of the areas that are normally active. But I agree, I don't like it when people keep perpetuating this (not saying that Alex did this on purpose) myth because it might turn some people off of psychedelics who might otherwise have profound experiences and even treat their addictions in the process if used correctly.
@@phillipjackson1517 well said. I believe the benefit I derived from increased brain malleability, which can also be dangerous if the experience is traumatic and is why the conditions (environment) are so important.
I feel like David is trying to subconciously persuade me into getting a beer with that bookcase behind him.
Or buy his book...
You mean to tell me he's trying to sell his book? I don't believe it
He's more pro weed, or psychedelics to be fair.
He used to own a wine bar
Haha I see the book! Its a book in his case thats titled Drink?
Alex, you brought me here under false pretences!
It’s a redundancy!
Thanks Alex and David for a wonderfully enlightening and truthful discussion, much appreciated.
David Nutt is a national treasure. I had the pleasure of talking to him after a lecture a few years ago, he's such a deeply knowledgeable and humble guy
I thought Alex was going to talk about nothing but drugs for an hour AGAIN. But 59 minutes? That I can listen to ;P
Our PMs do love a nice line of charlie along with their hypocrisy
😆 OMG so true!
The arrogance. Like they see themselves as part of a different species for whom the objections and harm don't apply, but supposedly the commoners/ working class lack something thus harm prevention is required, I.e. prohibition
They do more Charlie, than Camilla parker bowls...
I remember various headlines. QE2 after Charles 40th (cocaine usage). Another in more recent years, the debris from cocaine taking found around parliament. Look at the ay they argue like children, all fuelled up... Tell me that's no cocaine fuelled and I'll be laughing for a week
@@leighstreet8298Her son was the scapegoat for much of that.
What a legend prof. Nutt is! I was first introduced to him when he made an appearance on a Norwegian television show that had an episode about cannabis. He made such a great character to an otherwise awesome episode.
This was a beautifully conducted interview. Bravo. Never was much of a drug advocate, and now I'm ready to get my pitchforks and torches, to get government to stop their nonsense
Lots of people turn to drugs because of suffering. Plain old suffering. Continuous pain from diseases, injuries or mental health issues force people to seek coping strategies. Those seeking a new thrill is but a small group compared to the rest.
Lots of people use drugs to cope with a society that doesn't give a sh*t. Calling that "mental health issues" is just society's way of blaming the victims.
@fritsgerms3565 and some use drugs to access/explore parts of the mind not normally available(psychedelic's)😮
100%
People who do drugs aren't the irresponsible, feckless, "just want to have fun" people we've been presented. When I did drugs, it was because being in my own head was so painful I just needed a break, and that was on adolescence when I was starting to see the world as it really was.
As an addict for 19 years myself, whilst I can't speak for everyone, from what I've experienced and seen within our outcast community... it's 100% to escape pain. Every time. When you drill down to the truth of it. Any pain. Physical, emotional, mental. We are all just trying to get some relief and drugs provide that. Though ultimately it becomes a vicious circle because being an addict just brings more pain to want to escape from. By taking more drugs. And around it goes. But we are not all scum at all. You wouldn't even know I was an addict at first glance. No one I know dreams of being an addict when they grow up. Life happens. We find ourselves in this situation and many of us never make it out. Condemned by society. When what we really need is to be connected, supported, validated as people. Not just addict scum.
@@samantharogers1128 I really feel for you. It really really sucks to have to live with pain. Most people can be thankful that they don't understand it.
Fascinating conversation. Certainly made me think about some of my biases.
What a wonderful guest and interview.
To be fair “Drug Tsar” is a pretty dope title 😂
Drug Tsar Nutt
I thought you had misspelled "Czar", but apparently "Tsar" is a Russian word. New knowledge! 🎉
@@chinoto1Both spellings are correct but I suppose "Czar" is more etymologically accurate
Also fun fact, the first person to be titled tsar is Simeon the Great of Bulgaria
it's the title of the first song off of rap album i like 😂
“Dope title” 😂😂😂
A great interview with a great man.
This man is honest and there should be more people in power like him ❤
Excellent interview. Thank you ❤
Brilliant and insightful interview.
I recently saw Peter Hitchens in a prison documentary where he and some former criminals spent time behind bars. One of his conversations was with a former gangster from Newcastle called Chet Sandu in which Peter Hitchens shamed some of the inmates for smoking weed and then said that Cannabis does more harm than alcohol and that cannabis can make someone beat a child to death or something along those lines. If you advocate alcohol to be legal then you cannot possibly prohibit someone consuming cannabis. My father is an alcoholic who has a fatty liver and I would much rather he smoked a joint when he came home from work than crack open a bottle of wine! Alcohol kills thousands of people in the UK every year whilst cannabis kills nobody.
Neither cannabis nor alcohol do much good. Any good?
@@mark4asp Sorry but medical cannabis is an absolute god send and I am going to say you are completely mis guided, alcohol on the other hand should be banned.
@@mark4asp you might wanna think(do some research) before making profoundly erroneous statements like that.
Hitchens wants to ban alcohol too. That was his entire gripe with Alex.
There was the one guy who was killed when a small plane was dumping big bags of weed to be collected on the ground. He was crushed.
I love professor nutt.. he saved me from a life of natural bad acid trip feelings around the time I was diagnosed with psychosis. Maybe brain swelling but the professor recognised this whereas no other psychiatrist did.. I was re prescribed with a new anti psychotic & also diazepam.. within a few months after some reduction of symptoms of this bad trip slowly I am now through this dark dark period of my life.. much love to this man. Loved meeting him
I’m from Bristol and I worked in a restaurant where one day I saw Prof Nutt . he was having a meal and glass of wine .
I checked if he was having a good time with food and with his drink and I apologised for not offering MDMA .
My manager heard the conversation and gave me an incredible telling off while prof Nutt
laughed with his companion.
Every time Nutt mentions Alcohol, I can’t help but chuckle back at Hitchens’ repeated mocking of Alex by saying ‘but what about alcohol?’
That is a very lame response. Just because alcohol is bad doesn't mean that other drugs are good.
@@KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2jeyou’re right. I’d does however exemplify the fact that many activities and substances are dangerous, yet we accomodate these dangers.
Unburned diesel particulate is very dangerous; a powerful carcinogen, yet we “can’t do without trucks”. Fair enough.
House riding, motor cycling, deep sea fishing, paragliding…. All very dangerous and not necessary, but enjoyable and part of many people’s relaxation and winding down.
Parity is key- if the basis of the argument isn’t couched in logic and parity, it looks dogmatic and intellectually weak.
@@KissSlowlyLoveDeeply-pm2jewow you are very intelligent.
@@taxevader7777 thanks
Politics is not about making decisions for the society, it's about finding the "right" things to say and do to get re-elected
...and to get the money from lobbyists, you shouldn't forget the money
Winning arguments, not solving problems
That's a problem exclusive to democracy. It's not as good as they claim.
Unfortunately loads of people also still seem to vote on vibes instead of policies.
Governments hate him
Find out why this man was fired by the government
In 2010 i was coming to the end of a 2yr sentence for selling ecstasy tablets to a few friends. I heard about professor Nutt getting sacked in prison. I feel very angry especially as he confirmed what we already knew. We took ecstasy because we didn't want to take alcohol. We just wanted to dance and be peaceful.
Some 'drugs' are bad in large quantities. Alcohol shouldn't be banned but neither should cannabis either. I'd even question as to why hard drugs shouldn't be legal.
Make all drugs a medical issue rather than a criminal one.
The biggest killer at the moment is food. Our population is unhealthy and obese.
Type 2 Diabetes
Defund the CIA
Yeah buddy i don't think dianetes is making you stab somebody for money or steal a car and ram it in to the pavement
I've been a H addict for 22 years, always worked, the hardest thing was getting a reliable supply of decent stuff and money, if it was prescribed I could of lived quite a normal life. Meth just doubles your habit. Just out of rehab but only 1 in 10 people stay clean for a year and 1 in 20 won't be here in a year.
@@soley651it’s likely that neither would drugs if you could by them safely from a shop and not be demonised for taking them.
This would have happened to this man here in Sweden as well. Sweden has a zero policy on drugs - even though you can get most illegal drugs very easily if you want - that even spills over into the field of medicinal use of drugs like opiates, benzodiazepins, weak amphetamine for ADHD patients etc. It's literally extremely hard to get a small bottle of cough syrup or a few tramadol tablets the legal way, unless the doctor is brave enough to go against the authorities and consensus, which most aren't.
Interesting. What are the consequences for possessing drugs?
@@jasminejacob1870 As long as it is just for personal use the "official" punishment is just a fine, but if you are a gun owner, you will lose all your guns and if you have a driving license you will either lose it or have to prove through tests for several years - at your own expense - that you are not using drugs anymore to keep it. And you may have your children taken from you, lose your job and so on. So the consequences are draconic, unless you are a criminal through and through already...
Yes, it's an interesting case. In almost any other way, Sweden is highly rational, open-minded, secular, individualistic, modern, caring for the poor and willing to try new things and change. One would have thought this should lead to a more Dutch-ey stance, but no. We're positively christian republican on the issue.
Attitudes however are changing fast so we can expect political change soon. Drugs cut right through our political spectrum, with historically only very liberal types making it their stand-out feature to de-criminalize. The same people wanted to deregulate ...well everything. Sweden did so on many fronts and it hasn't turned out too well (think schools, trains and such); perhaps the neoliberal face-plant helped the 'cause-drugs-are-baaad people to keep the hate up.
These days every expert here says basically the same as Nutt. Change is coming. I mean, Germany isn't exactly known for its socially liberal mindedness and they already started. Soon it'll get too embarrassing to be "responsible" and aim for zero drugs by way of penalties.
Reminds me of religious people, when asked how they know God's for real, answering "I know because I know because I know". Well, right then. You certainly convinced me.
@@bjorsam6979 I would say when it comes to prostitution sweden is also not interested in a science based/harm reduction approach.
@@bjorsam6979 Yet somehow Sweden will censor any fair objection against immigration or the appalling behaviour of many immigrants. Freedom of press is being suppressed when the press cannot tell the objective facts of a beheading carried out by people of a certain background because of political correctness.
Sweden is no more "rational" or whatever label you want to apply, it just happens to align with your opinions.
There was prohibition in Wick in Scotland from 1922 to 1947! All pubs were closed, and you couldn’t buy alcohol in shops. The Old Pulteney distillery had to close, and bootlegging became rife.
And that's what's happened with D's, cut with all sorts now, straight H isn't that bad for you, it's just a little bit addictive.
If only we had the luxury of a having a government that's willing to have a grown up conversation about the drug question. The cliched phrase of "I'd like to thank drugs for winning the war on drugs" actually rings true.
Those in power are fully aware that the tired old punitive approach does not work and will never will, yet none of them are brave enough to face that fact and level with the public.
A decriminalised, treatment based, therapeutic based approach has been shown to provide far better results over a punishment and criminalisation based approach.
Wrong and stupid.
Yup, but we won't get that anytime soon because our government isn't interested in the public good.
@lordmew5 what is wrong and stupid?
@@dynamicworlds1 Indeed. They want votes and their pockets lining, the public good be damned.
Take a look at the statistics of how much money have been used on the drug war on USA, wonder what the average citizen thinks of that, literally tens of billions right down the drain.
Fascinating info, a good interviewer, and one brave man. Thank you!
I have been referencing this guy for years, and he really opened my eyes to the fact that most of us are recreational drug users.
I used to work with David. Impressive man for sure. Harm minimisation is the key.
I guess heroin is good then? lol
Imo benefit maximization is the key.
If you maximize benefit, harm reduction comes by itself.
@@MrCmon113 I'm not sure that's true. It's possible for something to have significant benefits and also to cause significant harm, whether that be as a side-effect, or in relation to dose, or whatever. I guess the ideal is to balance potential benefits against potential harm, but I can understand the argument for a simple prioritisation of harm minimisation especially in cases where the benefits are primarily recreational.
He says Alcohol is does the most damage. It might do the most physical damage, but smoking weed turns your mind to mush, which is far worse in my opinion.
@@MatthewSmith-j1l I agree 100%.
Brilliant guest, the typical Sun reader didn't read his findings, looking forward to watching this thx Alex
Being honest here, I started watching this while I was shaving and trimming my facial hair. The moment the sponsor came on, and Alex mentioned being productive, some water splashed on the screen and sped up the video x2.
Even my phone can't argue with tash man's power. Great video as always, engaging from the get go 👏
Mr. Nut, you speak truth to power. In years to come, you'll be hailed for your honesty, and the future will see them as deniers and politically sell outs who were liers who punished someone who was a head of their time. My hat is off to you, my friend. I hope you'll write a book! I'd buy it!!! Best of luck. Even though it is a big slap in the face, what they have done to you, remember, you're doing the right thing, and it takes brave people like you to do it. It's no small thing. Be proud !!! Thank you. USA 🇺🇸
Loved this. Excellent podcast Alex, thank you for spreading the other side of the story of prohibition.
what a nice person! Congrats Alex, another top convo
David is one of my favourite guys ever. So happy.
I know this is shallow as hell but in terms of optics I think it's quite good to have somebody who looks like your classic socially conservative uncle who dislikes drugs but doesn't mind a drink or five repping this perspective. cheers guys.
You are right, this is incredibly shallow.
@@m420-nd1if Thanks. I try to make a habit of being right ;)
@@Tsmowl😂
@@m420-nd1if branding matters..ask rory sutherland
@m420-nd1if optics usually are. But optics determines votes which determines policy. I'd much rather have someone in a suit with a real education advocating for drug legalization than some hippy with long hair and an obsession with the new age
Another great guest on your podcast.Keep it going!
Great interview/discussion, thank you.
I would call myself an expert on drugs , legal and illegal. Politicians have caused all the problems we have now with new compounds.
Before at least the emergency services used to know what to do when there were just the main drugs.
They should have legalised cannabis in the early eighties.
I have seen perfectly good working people have their lives ruined being put in prison for essentially smoking at home with their friends.
Nicotine is the entry drug followed by achohol.
Half the government were doing coke at one point and the BBC , I don't like coke myself drug for people with no personality and too much money, but hypocrisy is rife.
i had a massively strong cup of coffee this morning and my brain is tingling. ive drank loads and loads of water since and am still coming down. half life of five or six hours means ill be shaking for at least a couple more hours now and i regret deeply that i didnt dose properly.
Are you ok now?
In regards to sleep. Caffeine's quater life= 10-12hours. ☕️ ⏲️
@@VallenteDunnironically, a caffeine overdose causes drowsiness 😅
Two cups of coffee from the modern expresso machines and I get stomach cramp and chattering teeth. I have one cup a day, never two again.
@@VallenteDunn😮
What a brilliantly informataive video. Thank you chaps.
Excellent interview. Well done!
Aw! I love David Nutt. He seems like such a pleasant, friendly, down-to-earth guy. This is such a great chat! He's actually the antithesis of stern, stuck-up Peter Hitchens. :)
I just love how being strict about drug use inevitably leads to more dangerous drugs and even more dangerous organizations.
Policing is what gives drugs their valuation on the black market… and it incentivizes stronger drugs that take up less space- in other words it incentivizes higher potency and violence used to distribute it.
There is a direct correlation of more and more militarized policing and drug deaths. The more we escalate the war- the more drug deaths. It’s insane that we keep doing the same thing😢.
How is it that stronger drugs are only incentivized if they are illegal?
@@victor_2216take cannabis for example - growing it in a hurry (which is necessary if the operation is clandestine) causes it to be extremely THC-heavy and light on CBD which increases paranoia and psychosis in the user. I guess with fentanyl, only tiny doses are needed so less of it needs to be transported to make a profit than other opiates/opioids
@@victor_2216think about transporting a shipping container of opium poppy vs a briefcase of fentanyl. They both contain the same amount of opioid analgesia. Now think of how often you hear about people dying from fentanyl vs opium syrup.
@@victor_2216cus they make variants that skate by laws at the time and tend to have more detrimental side effects
Like during prohibition with bathtub gin and moonshine making people go blind
@@victor_2216I am writing this comment again because UA-cam deletes it every time that I use the actual name of the substance.
An entire shipping container of poppy flower bulbs has the same potency of a small purse of phent. Consider which you see more in the news.
When my grandparents were younger, cannabis grew like a weed on the side of the road. Grandpa called it "Wiled mustard "
What a refreshing interview, thank you.
Excellent interview.
I think the psychedelics allow our secondary ego to come out into our conscious self. There is a well known phenomenon of people having two separate identities living in the same brain when their corpus callosum is severed (either as a medical procedure or as a result of an accident). So we do have two people living under the same scull and only one of them is controlling our conscious self perception, while the other is living in the shadows, yet has immense influence on our decision making via corpus callosum. I believe the psychedelic drugs by sedating the brain make the presence of the second psyche come out of the shadows and become a bit more prevalent. And sometimes that door that is getting opened, is not shut when the drugs wear off, and the person learns to live with the shadow self moving into the passenger seat, rather than being confined to the trunk.
Great talk with the Prof. I admire Nutt immensely but here as in his book he does make some basic errors about cannabis. Growing under UV (rarely happens) or hydroponically has no effect on strength. Not all 1970s cannabis was low THC - I am old enough to remember Thai sticks and Nepalese temple balls. "Skunk" is not a specially dangerous extra strong type of weed, it is just a 1960's bred variety (originally called "Roadkill") which was taken to Amsterdam and popularised in the 80s as home growing became feasible. At about 16% average THC it is nothing like as strong as many Hazes or Gorilla Glue or Godfather OG (30%), let alone the 95% pure THC extracts you can buy in a vape cart or even dab in the form of THC Diamonds. . That is the strong stuff - and it still doesn't make you psychotic. Then there are the other 100 cannabinoids to consider...
If somebody drinks alcohol, they're in no position to pontificate about ANY drugs.
My copy of Drugs Without the Hot Air arrived today. Looking forward to reading it. Thank you David, and thank you Alex.
Very informative and interesting information. Thanks for uploading.
Wow, this is one patient man. Thanks for the interview, very interesting!
Also: I didn't know that politicians are actually drunk in parliament. Jesus Christ that is fucked up.
As an American, I always wondered why parliament was so raucous and entertaining.
It's because they're drinking moet and chandon champagne cheaper than the price of a pint of beer and made cheap because we subsidise it.
You may be correct but it's also incredibly unsurprising.
& coked up a lot of them too.......
@@junglie Coke Mmm, Not my favourite drug and I've tried most😵💫😵💫
"The establishment will use drug hysteria to create an international police apparatus"
--- William S. Burroughs
That's a bit backwards...they may have been misplaced in pursuing drugs so ardently but you make it sound like it was an excuse to create a global superpolice state.
he shot his wife
While drunk@@isiahs9312
@@isiahs9312given enough time most habitual drug users will do something along those lines
@@isiahs9312 being a shit person doesn't mean you can't have good insight from time to time
Ok big rant time! I'm very passionate about this topic as I'd have some friends alive today that have sadly passed if only our government had listened to this man.
It's so absurd that our government doesn't listen to experts to make policies. David Nutt could have made such a huge impact on the health of this nation.
The solution to the drug issue in the UK is so glaringly obvious but simply won't happen due to silly political games and a thin veil of a false moral pretence.
It's beyond frustrating that the health and wellbeing of a nation, especially those people who are often experiencing the most hardships, is placed below MP's political image.
Taking the drugs market out of the shadows and into legality would almost completely wipe out police and government corruption by removing the main income stream from underworld organisations. It would also raise vast amounts of tax revenue that could be used not only to contribute towards funding the NHS and creating harm reduction practices, but I would go as far to say that we'd make massive headway towards fixing the deficit on the whole.
Furthermore criminalising drug users does not benefit society or the individual, in fact it does more harm to both. Drug problems should be treated, not punished. We ought to be looking to reduce harm, not perpetuate it.
It really is very simple.
wow, how educational interview, thanks!
Superb guest. Nicely done ❤
In essence Peter Hitchen's is right, addiction is a failure of willpower, but so is his failure to give away all his wealth to charity. Everything good we fail to do can be said to be a failure of willpower, our failure to be perfect is a failure of willpower. It is a worthless point.
Perhaps being perfect would become perfectly boring?
@@the4thway51 I hope to live a boring live.
I want to spend a good amount of time in Professor Nutt's Library.
Professor David Nutt, a shameless peddler of common sense and scientific reason.
Incredible, perplexing and frustrating interview. David Nutt is a legend.
Such an important interview 👏
How can anyone even take Peter Hitchens seriously at all, ever?
I never have. Realistically, no one would remember his name if not for his older brother.
Even his brother couldn’t.
I genuinely really like him, we don't share many of the same opinions but he is honest in presenting his meticulously researched views, which is extremely rare...he's lived a very interesting life and is always worth listening to
First step is probably that you have to be a conservative. And that's probably it.
@@bartkl He appears far more reactionary than conservative to me.
I cannot imagine the sh*tshow if our Congress in the US had an active bar. Finding out parliament members are drunk while passing laws is insane.
"Parliament is like the US congress with a two drink minimum"
-Dave Berry
5 active bars. And subsidised by the taxpayer! Shocking isn’t it?
Saw the title and came here to just say how obsessed you were with drugs. Only to find you started with that, so thanks for stealing my thunder.
Great interview 👍
A beautiful soul shines through all David says. Top conversation between two level headed humans. Take note Peter, if it's possible.
The question to me is less the governments stance and more why normal everyday people actually just mindlessly accept that the governments nonsense is based upon a real consideration of human health and scientific evidence...
Normal, everyday people are stupid, deferential to authority, spiteful, cowardly, and eager to slurp up whatever propaganda is put in front of them.
Of course they mindlessly accept the government's nonsense.
My exact thought while watching this and reading through comments also. People wondering why the government would do this to it's people. Why wouldn't it? They hate us.
@@d6mafia13 There's a compound in our brains and spines linked to neuroplasticity that can be found in all sorts of other complex organisms and is being research as a cure, yes, CURE, for altzehimers and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Banned.
But whatever the fuck Dow is putitng in the river where i get my water, that shits alright.
Again, what really boils my blood isn't the plain evilness of it, but why the vast majority of people are willing to ignore how rotten it is and just go along
It really is a Huxley-ian nightmare "you will love your servitude"
Your problem is your opinion of normal people is far too high. Normal people are sadistic, anti-intellectual bootlickers.
fire comment
Why should the government have a say in me drinking alcohol? All this harm prevention is always an excuse to tighten the leash a little more.
What he's saying on schizophrenia is not entirely true. To people who have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia smoking weed can advance the disease or cause its start. It's one of the most classic examples of interaction between nature and nurture in psychology books
Well, dont use cannabis then. No need to try and stop others using it.
I don't think that is what he said. He said it is because weed with high levels of THC is all that's available in this country uk. If we legalised it and we're able to regulate it, we would understand that CBT has anti anxiety effects. Non psychoactive. THC at low doses can help with anxiety, but the cannabis available in this country illegally has high levels of THC, and is highly psychoactive.
@@EliisK6 The weed products legal in countries which legalized weed all have extremely high THC concentrations as well, and there is nothing to stop a person from just taking more low THC edibles or smoking more weed so legalization doesn't realistically do anything to solve that problem.
I'm not against legal weed, it's legal where I am and I haven't noticed any real problems from legalization, but it doesn't really help with any problems either. It's just sort of a neutral thing that has very little impact on anything.
Decriminalizing hard drugs in bigger cities has been a nightmare though, as well as the needle dispensaries, those are a scourge on the big cities here and I am glad to be as far away as possible from those policies. Those cities are disgusting now. It was better when they could just arrest these people and get them off the street for their own safety and everyone else's. At least now they are looking at implementing involuntary care facilities, and while it would be nice if they helped these people, I think the main benefit is just getting them away from the public.
You do realize you can smoke less, right? And don't confuse things with some anecdote that an idiot wouldn't do so. In America you can get many different strengths, the Reggie regular you must smoke more and the high isn't that good. Look at what Cheech and Chong were smoking. Huge joints and often, because of crap weed
It's copper toxicity.
Prof Nutt is incredible! Have never taken recreational drugs in my life, nor do I ever intend to. However, for a lover of science, especially the cognitive domain, and a seeker of truth, his books have been paradigm shifting. How brilliant to see Prof Nutt here!
Important discussion. Thanks.
What Alex and Eric failed to discuss and take into consideration about why people take to drugs is the fact of the struggles to cope with life, which most of us who have really struggled to just get by on back breaking jobs, which was pretty-much, the everyday struggle of the truly working stiff, and not the pampered generations of our 21st century. For example, the peasantry of the middle ages, worked six/seven days from before sunrise to sundown at physically demanding tasks and at the end of the day, a little fleeting moment of joy brought on by alcohol made life less intolerable. 19th century we still have men, women, and even children working long hours at mind numbing, back breaking, hazardous jobs that created wealth for the leisure upper class and some opportunities for those of lesser means, but alcohol was still the easiest mind soothing drug for the masses. Even in the early 1960’s, as a common field laborer, i worked all summer school vacations, as a teenager, along side the Mexican bracerros, and the Saturday weekend at the brothels and alcohol mood-enhancing bars was the only salve for these tired souls in a sleepy agricultural community. Since the 1850’s, i allege, those prohibitionists for the most part, were educated ladies and gents who did not have to truly strain under the yoke from sun up to sundown to make a living, and therefore had time to indulge in curtailing the one source of mental escape from the everyday misery of the working under class. I understand why the poor, the disenfranchised, the uneducated turn to alcohol, or other momentarily delusional escape from reality like religion, to cope in this harsh existence. I’m 80 years of age, and will continue to have my daily couple of shots of straight 80 proof booze until they pry my dead fingers from my shot glass. 2X🥃 😱 🙃👍 😜
Those people being degenerates is not an excuse. I've done similar work for similar hours, and never have i ever thought about doing drugs
@@lordmew5 You might want to thank your upbringing, environment, and your genetics to not fall into "degeneracy" . At the moment it is very likely any person born at this moment will try alcohol in their life time and might get addiction. If you are person who has never drank any alcohol my hats to you, as a person who has never been drunk, but has drunk some. I think it sad, you think you are above people, because of things you have had no control over.
@@dalkflamemastel4542 Sure, but anyone who chooses drugs should automatically have every right revoked as far as I'm concerned. I think it's sad that you want to play defense for druggies probably because you are one.
@dalkflamemastel4542 I was close to getting addicted to alcohol thank God I stopped my high-school friends group isnall addicted to alcohol and I chose marijuana with a few friends
Addiction is heavily due to trauma, especially in childhood. You dont want to live the lives addicts have had to live before they became addicts. To many, the difference between using and not is literally this 'i dont want to live anymore, but i can use this substance and actually feel fine... feel some relief for once. It gives them hope to stay alive.