Neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt On Alcohol, LSD, and Getting Sacked For His Findings

The British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt had reached arguably the pinnacle of his field as chairman of the government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

- Zach Weissmueller

Then in 2009 he was summarily dismissed from his position. In May, Reason TV’s Zach Weissmueller sat down with Nutt to discuss his sacking, and what he’s learned from the psychedelic research he continues to do at Imperial College London.

Q: What happened that caused you to lose your job?

A: We did an enormous amount of research into the comparative harms of drugs, and I discovered, somewhat to my surprise, that alcohol was actually the most harmful drug in the U.K. I started explaining to the government, “Our drug laws are wrong. Putting people in prison for cannabis possession is not fair, because alcohol is more dangerous.” They did not want to hear that.

Q: You just completed some research on LSD in conjunction with the Beckley Foundation. Tell me about that.

A: It’s a fascinating drug. In the 1950s and ’60s it was going to solve the world’s problems. The National Institute of Health in America funded 140 separate studies. Then as soon as it started being used recreationally, it suddenly got banned. We decided it was time to bite the bullet and do the first brain imaging study of LSD.