Mind Altering Drugs Research Call

Professor Suggests Allowing Research on Mind Altering Drugs

Mind altering drugs are frowned upon in our society, but one former government drugs adviser believes that the laws should be relaxed and researchers should be allowed to experiment on these drugs. In this article we will take a look at what this professor believes mind altering drugs may be capable of and why this type of research should be allowed.

Who is Professor David Nutt?

Before diving in to why Professor David Nutt is calling for psychedelic drug research, perhaps it is important to understand just who this man is first. Professor John David Nutt was born in 1951 and as a British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist he specializes in the research of drugs that affect the brain. Professor David Nutt has served as a professor at the University of Bristol, the Edmond J. Safra chair in Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College in London; he has been a member of the Committee on Safety of Medicines and served as the president of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Professor David Nutt has worked in a good many positions of prestige and influence including as a member of the Committee on Safety of Medicines as noted above and as the chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

What is Professor Nutt’s Experience with Drug Research?

The professor has a great deal of experience researching a wide variety of drugs that affect the brain and play a role in various conditions. Perhaps most notable of the professor’s interactions regarding the use of illegal drugs however, is an article that he published in the peer reviewed medical journal “The Lancet” in 2007. The article eventually led to Nutt being fired from the ACMD as he released the controversial data from his study on the harms of drug use. Nutt then went on to form and found the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs with a number of his peers who resigned from the ACMD following Nutt’s firing.

In November of 2010, Nutt released a second article in The Lancet that was coauthored with two other researchers representing the newly formed committee. The article ranked the harm done to the user and to society by a range of drugs. Controversially this study found that alcohol was more harmful to society than heroin and crack cocaine. The study also revealed that the most harmful drugs to users were crack cocaine and crystal meth. Since the release of this article many disagreements have been had over the content found in the research study; however Nutt continues to stand by his research.

What is Nutt Saying Currently?

In a recent interview with BBC News, professor Nutt stated that a variety of mind altering drugs including: mephedrone, ecstasy, cannabis, LSD and magic mushrooms, all have the potential to do some good when applied in therapeutic situations. The problem is, said Nutt, that because of the current restrictions being placed on the research of drugs that are considered to be “illegal,” none of the research that could discover these findings is being done. Nutt’s disdain of the overwhelming rules and regulations on the study of illegal drugs is no secret and his support for the study of these substances is not secret either, but what is he is right?

Possible Applications for Mind Altering Drugs

Professor Nutt’s comments in regards to the stringent regulations on the research of mind altering drugs came shortly after his group released research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This newest research suggested that one of the active ingredients in magic mushrooms could be extremely effective in treating depression.

Professor Nutt’s Frustration

Much of the frustration that professor Nutt feels when faced with the amazing number of regulations on the research of these drugs centers on the chemical composition of the drugs themselves. All of the drugs that Nutt would like to see researched are drugs that have been proven in some way to alter the mind. The mind altering that comes from these illegal drugs however seems to be far different from anything the medical community has been able to replicate with psychiatric medications. Nutt believes that these drugs could have profound implications in any number of serious medical conditions and yet no one has challenged their inability to research them as of yet.

Who Can Research These Drugs?

According to research conducted by the BBC News, a Home Office spokesperson claimed that research of these drugs was not prohibited, it was simply strictly monitored. Researchers are permitted the ability to research these drugs with a series of controlled drug possession licenses. What does this mean? It means that only institutions that are recognized by the home office as legitimate research facilities with all of the correct licensures are able to conduct research. It is the position of the Home Office that research on mind altering drugs is just as important as other types of research, yet keeping these drugs under a strict chain of command and keeping a close eye on research is just as important.

Why is Professor Nutt Portrayed As the “Bad Guy”?

There are a few reasons why Professor Nutt seems to come across as the bad guy in his avocation of further research in to the application of mind altering drugs. Primarily his clash with officials when he suggested in an earlier study in which he claimed alcohol was more harmful than illegal drugs, is one of the big reasons why professor Nutt is portrayed as the “bad guy.” Additionally, in his more recent research where Nutt and his researchers found that the active ingredient, psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms had a significant influence in the lives of those facing serious depression. While Nutt is not advocating that those who are depressed go out and take magic mushrooms, this is often how he is portrayed. So what is professor Nutt saying? He simply believes that these drugs deserve a little more scientific research and understanding. He is saying that there is scientific potential to researching the effects that mind altering drugs have on those who take them.