Marijuana.com

Lothar121

UK Science Panel Lists Marijuana, Ecstasy, LSD Behind Tobacco, Alcohol
Hammer of Truth | 08/07/06



The chart above speaks volumes (via Robot Wisdom), I wish the New Scientist didn’t have a pay-wall around this article though (I presume someone can help us out by finding the paper being cited):

When it comes to danger, cigarettes and alcohol beat ecstasy, LSD and cannabis, according to a league table of the harm they cause.

The UK Science and Technology Select Committee, which advises the government, commissioned an assessment of 20 legal and illegal stimulants to examine the actual social and physical harm they cause based on scientific evidence.

Controlled drugs are currently categorised to reflect the penalties they incur for possession and dealing. The highest category, class A, carries the largest legal penalties and includes heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and magic mushrooms. Class B includes speed and barbiturates, while cannabis and some tranquillisers are in class C.

However, the new league table puts alcohol in the top five most harmful drugs, alongside heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone. Ecstasy and LSD, currently categorised as class A drugs, come well below both tobacco and alcohol.

Another study, another hole in the drug prohibitionist argument. We’re gaining ground slowly and I hope the mainstream media will pick up on this new development.

Update: Here’s the July 31st report being cited in HTML and PDF formats. I haven’t read through it yet, but from the conclusion they present it seems the whole thing will be soon buzzing around the Internet. It seems the U.K. is racing far ahead of the U.S. in their ending of many drug prohibition laws and this report is giving more ammo to those who use scientific fact to combat government hype and the tactics of fear propaganda.

__________________

Donate. Write. Make a difference.. Posting Guidelines | Marijuana Policy Project | NORML | DPA | Drug WarRant | Media Awareness Project