Nutt: My views on drug classification
David Nutt, the government's former chief drugs adviser, on how he formulated his controversial views on drugsFormulating policy in relation to drugs is obviously quite a difficult thing to do. I comment on it, as I always have, from the perspective of a psychiatrist who is interested in drugs and drugs and the brain.We have a range of expertise on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD); we're very strong in terms of chemistry and pharmacology, and psychology; and we have a definite knowledge, interest and responsibility to look at social harms as well. We provide one arm of the policy-formulating perspective. In addition, there are a number of other agencies, organisations and individuals who contribute to policy formation.There are also international partners – we have signed up to international treaties – which determine that, in essence, the UK follows United Nations policy on drugs. This...
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