The Nut's Lost It On Drugs.

Well someone's been chucking the toys out of the pram at least.

One of the big stories in the UK over recent days has been the sacking of Professor David Nutt, head of the Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. The sacking comes in response to a spat that arose after Professor Nutt declared that using cannabis was less dangerous then using alcohol or tobacco. Although this statement is supported by a wealth of scientific evidence it runs contrary to the Governments position that the use to cannabis must be prohibited because it is "lethal"* The story is something of a behemoth of a news event that encompasses a vast range of issues.

1. The Drugs Debate. Like abortion, sex and gun control the debate over the use of recreational drugs is a recurring one within western societies, Britain included. The current dominant scientific position is to move towards legalisation and education while the dominant political position is to call for greater prohibition. This current dispute opens the debate up to a whole group of new voters and encourages the expression of a range of new opinions on the matter. Personally I've taken pretty much every illegal drug there is and have been more involved then most in their supply and sale. Therefore it is an area in which I feel particularly knowledgeable making it a very difficult issue for me to comment on without contributing to the debate.

2. Spreading Confusion. Aside from the controversial nature of the subject the names of the people involved are particularly off putting. On top of the hard to resist headline used above Professor Nutt's sacking has prompted the resignation of one of his colleagues, Dr Lesley King. This man's name is easily confused with that of England footballer, Ledley King and in it's short form, Les King, makes him sound as if he's the King of the Lesbians. A controversial position if there ever was one.

3. The Power of Suggestion. As previously mentioned in my life I have smoked a lot of cannabis. So much so that the plans the Brits have for me are entirely dependent on the fact I am experiencing the effects of cannabis as they understand them. Obviously this means that along with experiencing love, friendship or any feelings of warmth or happiness smoking cannabis is something that I simply can no longer do. The reporting of the story, especially by the BBC, has featured lots of footage of cannabis along with footage of people preparing and smoking cannabis joints. This is the sort of thing that you would expect to tempt a cannabis consumer to consume more cannabis.
Obviously I am not the only person in the country to watch the news and I'm not the only person who's ever smoked cannabis. Therefore this promotion of cannabis has to be targeted at a wider section of society then just me. This is supported by the fact that inspite of an alleged police crackdown there is no sign of the seasonal contraction in cannabis supply. Aside from the obvious negative impact that excessive cannabis consumption will have on the UK protest scene, especially the young and rather green Climate Camp movement increased cannabis consumption at this time will have two positive effects for the British State. Firstly the UK housing market has been suffering from a lack of available credit which is depressing property prices. Organised drug dealers represent that rarest of things in the housing market - cash buyers. Boosting their purchasing power will help artificially inflate house prices convincing home owners that they're richer then they really are. Secondly Britain is experiencing rising unemployment especially amongst the young, the low skilled and those who work in the construction industry. If these people can be encouraged to smoke more cannabis they open themselves up to a host of mental health problems that would allow them to be reclassified as unfit for work rather then unemployed. This would reduce the unemployment figures and help to create a false impression about the strength of the UK economy.

4. The Home Secretary. Alan Johnson is the Home Secretary at the centre of this mess. Mr Johnson is widely considered to be the man who will replace Gordon Brown as the leader of the Labour Party and was only put in charge of the Home Office after a terrible misfortune befell the two previous holders of the position. Mr Johnson also used to be a postman before entering politics and is well connected to the Union at the Royal Mail who are currently engaged in strike action. This makes him a prime target for attack by those within in the British Establishment who take it upon themselves to interfere in industrial disputes.
Further more following my August Burglary incident Croydon Council contacted the Home Office to discuss solutions to Croydon Burglary problem. After some discussion the Home Office responded by making £100,000 of central government funding available to solve the problem. Being as greedy as they are stupid Croydon Council decided to pocket the money for themselves using it to fund, amongst other things, the job of "Burglary Coordinator" paying a salary of £26,000 a year. A few weeks after the council made this announcement a court ruling changed the rules on how asylum seekers are funded while their asylum claims are processed. As Lunar House in Croydon was until very recently the UK's only in country reporting centre for asylum seekers that rule change is going to hit Croydon Council very hard to the tune of millions of pounds per year.
Personally I don't think the two incidents were connected for a range of reasons including the timescales involved, the contentious nature of the issue and the fact the decision was made by a judge rather then the Home Office. However Croydon Council, perhaps showing signs of stress, convinced themselves that they were so went bitching and moaning to their MI5 contacts that they were being bullied by the big bad Home Secretary.


*Cannabis is one of the few substances on earth that has no toxic dose. That means that while it might have many effects on you killing you is not one of them.