Cannabis Cup Winners 2009

Here are the winning cannabis seeds from this year's 22nd High Times Cannabis Cup:

Cannabis Cup
1st. Green House Seeds - Super Lemon Haze
2nd. Barney's Farm - Vanilla Kush
3rd. Green Place - Head Bang

Indica Cup
1st. Hortilab - Starbud
2nd. Reserva Privada - OG 18
3rd. AllStar Genetics - Kush D

Sativa Cup
1st. Harvestmen Seed Co. - Hilton
2nd. Green House Seeds - Super Lemon Haze
3rd. BC Bud Depot - BC Bud Depot...

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Sacked adviser urges drugs probe

Sacked government drugs adviser Prof David Nutt has called for a Royal Commission to investigate whether cannabis should be decriminalised.

Prof Nutt told the BBC the possibility of allowing Dutch-style cannabis cafes should be "explored".

But his call comes as another academic is due to publish a study highlighting the possible links between the drug and schizophrenia.

"The more you smoke, the higher the risk," Prof Robin Murray told the BBC.

Prof Nutt told Radio 4's The Report that a Royal Commission on decriminalising the use of cannabis was a "sensible" idea and it could have "big health benefits."

He added: "We've seen some countries like Portugal make real progress in terms of drug-related crime and drug-related harms by decriminalising drugs of personal use.

"You could make a moral position that why should people be imprisoned for possessing something that effectively will only harm themselves?"

Prof Nutt said: "I certainly am interested in the idea that we might de-penalise possession and even allow the Dutch model for cannabis - the coffee shops - which could potentially have many benefits.

"I think it's perfectly sensible to think about the Dutch model for cannabis and explore whether that might be a tenable way of allowing young people to get an intoxicant which is safer than alcohol, and which they could then use in a controlled, safe environment."

He suggested that "trial towns" might be set up for an experiment.

Prof Nutt was sacked three weeks ago from his post as head of The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) by Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who accused him of campaigning against the government's decision to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug.

The professor had attacked what he called the "artificial" separation of alcohol and tobacco from illegal drugs and said smoking cannabis created only a "relatively small risk" of psychotic illness.

Skunk and psychosis

But this view is challenged by research due to be published next month by Robin Murray, professor of psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, who said that eight studies published since 2002 had shown that the risk of developing schizophrenia or psychotic symptoms was higher in those who used cannabis.

He told The Report the risk increased in younger cannabis users and those who smoked skunk, the more potent strain of the drug.

"Our evidence was that if you started smoking by the age of 18, then you're about one-and-a-half times more likely to go psychotic by the time you are 26," said Prof Murray.

"If you start by 15, you're four and a half times more likely."

He said that traditional studies showed that 8% to 15% of all schizophrenia cases could be attributed to cannabis but he added: "More recently, our evidence from south London is that it's more like 20% and I think that is associated with skunk."

Prof Murray also said 20% of all the people who developed schizophrenia would not do so if people did not smoke cannabis, and in particular skunk. "I think that would be worthwhile," he added.

Prof Nutt said Prof Murray's was an important study but "we need to know if it is replicated across the country".

He added: "I'm not saying cannabis is safe, it is a dangerous drug, but the majority of people who use do not come to any serious harm."

Prof Nutt said it was difficult to tell if the drug was more dangerous to adolescents.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8366466.stm

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Lowryder #1 now in feminised cannabis seeds

The original ruderalis cannabis seeds, as produced by The Joint Doctor, are now available as feminised seeds. This is their third feminised strain, following Lowryder #2 and Easy Ryder.

Full product details: Lowryder #1

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TGA Subcool Cannabis Seeds

Pick ‘n’ Mix Cannabis Seeds have now launched another new seed bank, TGA Subcool Seeds, adding to their extensive list of cannabis seeds breeders. This seed bank is being added due to sheer popular demand as these are by far the most asked-for strains by customers.

TGA is Subcool, Jill, Sunycheba & Badboy. Together they mix cannabis seeds genetics like DJs mix records. They should be called ‘Gene Jockeys’ because they know how to combine the best traits from the parent stock.

All TGA Seeds come as regular seeds and you can choose from either single seeds or packs of ten.

The Strains

Here is the complete list of strains:

3D Third Dimension
Fruit punch with a soaring high that lasts and doesn’t peak for at least 20 minutes after initial toke, a true gem, 3D does well when topped and likes a lot of nitrogen to keep her happy, produces budsites down to the main stem, it topped will hang like a sticky willow tree in later stages of bloom, needs support, food-like, smell, taste. High is very thought provoking, body numbing, truly unique hybrid with almost apple-smelling buds, very very high resin.

Agent Orange
range Velvet is a much sought after strain in the USA, due to its uncanny orange creamsicle flavour and enjoyable medicinal high, using Subs JTR male to add yield and lots of resin, this plant is like smoking a bowl of fruit each toke coats your mouth with deep flavours of mango and oranges. A favourite of the ladies due to its flavours and medicinal effect, very thorough long-lasting stone, extremely stout plants that can support huge buds, a very good strain.

Astro Queen
Selecting from our own cross, Astroboy a large watermelon trait female was pollinated with our proven Space Queen male. The resulting cross yields very unusual tasting hybrid with with flavors from cherry to watermelon. The high is very intense and is reported by smokers as trippy and good for pain relief. Females are very similar with heavy resin and a fruity smell and taste. Very mind expanding and visual, very much a head high. Harvest window is 8 weeks.

Jack The Ripper
Created from the legendary Jack’s Cleaner, pollinated by a Space Queen male, aka Space Dude which instantly added a fruity mango flavour and added its own unique potency to the mix. JTR seeds are huge, dark and tiger-striped, they are easy to grow and will produce good sized buds with a coating of resin so heavy it causes what’s known as resin curl along the ran leaf edges. Brushing against these plants while in bloom will fill the air with a thick heavy fruit peng, literally smells like like over-ripe mango. Top plants for bubblehash or dry sieving!

Jack’s Cleaner 2
JC2 is the product of a backcross to the clone only Jack’s Cleaner, using a proven JTR male. The resulting plants are almost all 75% Jack’s Cleaner with the Space Dude’s genetics being overpowered by JC’s dominant traits resulting in a more hazey, slightly harsher tasting hybrid but with a sweet exhale a creeper stone, that can completely disorientate, if you over indulge, a definite appetite stimulant.

Jilly Bean
MzJill was lucky enough to be gifted an amazing Orange Skunk and the first time we smoked it we knew we had to outcross it with our Space Queen male. You don’t really have to be a master breeder to figure out orange and pineapple mango will be a good combination. The resulting outcross is remarkably stable and is close to a 50/50 representation of the parents. Topped it grows into a nice short bush with lots of side branching and multi heads. Flavours range from orange, tang, candy, mango and apple. The cross works really well in SOG Or SCROG. Very large stems and huge top colas make this an easy strain to grow in any medium.

Pandora’s Box
Many years ago the most powerful magic recipe was locked away to protect humanity from the devastating power, locked inside a combination of genetics that only a team of Uber-stoners would have the power to harness. This strain is very stable and we are very excited about the yields we have seen. The first plants I saw grown in a hydro hut grown by a newbie grower were literally sagging with huge glass like buds and the buzz is up, speedy, very shit eating grin and smiling like a Cheshire cat like high. It’s a bit smoother than JTR and has a different feel in the head less haze influence. I can’t tell where the ceiling is as every bowl I smoke I seem to get a bit higher until the point my vision blurs. Not for light weights. I can’t stop grinning when I smoke this weed.

Querkle
Another knockout clone only strain, Urkle is one of the most sought after USA strains. Its deep purple hues make this plant a true spectacle to watch grow. As early as day 40 you will see her leaves change to a deep dark purple and now with JTR’s resin profile and potency, this is sure to become a sure fire top strain. One of the only purple strains that will rip your head off. Top Bag appeal.

Space Queen
Our interpretation of BCGA’s famous lost cross Space Queen this F2 took over a year to create agonising over four distinct and amazing mother plants found in a very old pack of Vic’s original seeds. Once the best mother plant was selected the long process of growing out the F2 generation was started and the result made us very happy and very very stoned. This cross has been grown more than any other TGS gear and everyone that germinates these seeds ends up with a keeper female they cherish forever.

The Flav
A much sought after romulan meets the resin bomb Space Queen and they both bring their own very worthy qualities to the cross, excellent resin profile, high odour and as tasty as a candy factory. Easy to grow, can support itself until the last week of bloom when she starts to get top heavy, support is recommended, excellent meds, pain relief and creativity.

Vortex
Apollo 13 is another legendary clone-only strain in the USA. It was used as the seed-bearing parent in this awesome cross. Its a sticky, milky, sweet tasting plant that has a very uplifting high, very enjoyable, puts you in a very creative mood. Again Space Dude has passed on the cherry-like sweet fruit undertone to an already complex apollo flavour. Excellent toke for daytime, non-confusing and clear, each toke is a tasty treat which usually leads to smoking excessive amounts, leaving the smoker in a daze. Can creep up on you. Excellent stout structured, vigourous plants.

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New strain: White Russian Automatic from Sagarmatha

Sagarmatha Seeds have launched a new strain in their autoflowering seeds range.

It's called White Russian Automatic, and the product details are as follows:

Sagarmatha White Russian is a brand automatic flowering strain bred from the multiple award winning Serious Seeds White Russian.

It has high levels of THC making it very strong with a long lasting high.

Flowering time: 9 weeks

It is available in packs of five or single seeds.

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Two new additions: Hashplant Haze, Donk

We have two new arrivals today to add to our range of cannabis seeds, the first from DNA Genetics and the second from Spice of Life.

Here are the details for each:

Hashplant Haze from DNA Genetics
The Hashplant Haze is a great yielding strain which produces huge amounts of redish hash. The uplifting high is enjoyable throughout the day. It is advisable to flower her right from clone and to supercrop her often to control the size. She grows well in the Sea-of-Green method and is not sensitive to nutrients. This sativa-dominant strain produces buds late in the flower cycle. The taste is that of fruity, hashy, haziness with an earthy, hazy aroma.

Donk from Spice of Life
The heaviest commercial clone going around the Kootenays was going around without a name. A few plants got tossed into the room for the hell of it. It is the heaviest yielding of these four lines, although its pedigree is uncertain, it is improved upon with the Blue Satellite #2 cross.

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Drug adviser sacking was "humiliation", says colleague

Dr Simon Campbell resigned from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on Tuesday after Professor David Nutt was forced to step down for criticising Government policy, especially relating to cannabis.

He was one of three advisers to go this week taking the total of those who have resigned in support of Prof Nutt to five.

Dr Campbell, a synthetic organic chemist, said: "I think that was a clash of personalities. I don't agree with the manner in which he was dismissed. I think such an abrupt dismissal was an unnecessary humiliation for such a respected scientist."

Asked about the Government's attitude to science, he added: "I think the Home Secretary will listen to what the council says but at the end of the day I think political expediency rules the roost."

Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, dismissed Prof Nutt after accusing him of "crossing a line" into politics, especially after he criticised the decision to reclassify cannabis as class B, against ACMD advice.

Dr Campbell said: "When we made our recommendation on cannabis we saw no reason to change the classification and yet the government has already decided to move from Class C to Class B.

"That can only be because the government saw it as a votes-catching exercise."

Dr John Marsden and Dr Ian Ragan also resigned from the council this week despite a crunch meeting with Mr Johnson.

The meeting had been called because members of the advisory body wanted reassurances from the Home Secretary that they could continue in "good conscience" and that their advice would be respected.

Mr Johnson has said a joint code between Government and scientists, proposed by the Royal Society, was being considered by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Government's chief scientific adviser.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6545069/Drug-adviser-sacking-was-humiliation-says-colleague.html

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John Beddington backs Professor David Nutt's stance on cannabis

Government divisons over the sacking of its chief drug adviser deepened yesterday as its most senior scientist backed Professor David Nutt for saying that cannabis was less harmful than alcohol.

Professor John Beddington, the Chief Scientific Adviser, said research showing the drug to be less dangerous than alcohol and cigarettes was “absolutely clear cut”, though he stopped short of criticising Alan Johnson’s decision to dismiss him.

Professor Beddington’s intervention came as it emerged that Lord Drayson, the Science and Innovation Minister, e-mailed No 10 at the weekend to say that he was “pretty appalled” by the Home Secretary’s move, which had the scientific community “up in arms”.

Both were abroad when Professor Nutt was dismissed — Lord Drayson in Japan and Professor Beddington in Russia — and neither was consulted by Mr Johnson despite their roles in overseeing science advice across Whitehall.

Lord Drayson wrote in an e-mail to Nick Butler, the Prime Minister’s policy adviser: “Alan did this without letting me know and giving me a chance to persuade him it’s a big mistake. Is Gordon able to get Alan to undo this? As ‘science champion in Government’, I can’t just stand aside on this one.”

He later issued a statement saying that this was an “immediate reaction to what had happened without full knowledge of the facts” and that Mr Johnson had since assured him of his respect for scientific advice.

Professor Beddington told the BBC that he accepted that there was a difference between scientific advice and ministerial decision-making, and that Mr Johnson had been placed in a difficult position by Professor Nutt’s criticism of the reclassification of cannabis as a Class B drug.

“I think it’s very difficult — when clearly trust had broken down between the Home Secretary and Professor Nutt — to see how that could go on,” he said.

Asked whether he agreed with Professor Nutt that cannabis was less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol, he said: “I think the scientific evidence is absolutely clear cut. I would agree with it.”

He said that he would consult heads of other expert committees to ask whether they had experienced difficulties.

Professor Beddington has previously been critical of the Home Office’s attitude to scientific advice. He wrote to Jacqui Smith, then Home Secretary, in January expressing concern that she appeared to have pre-empted a report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on the classification of Ecstasy. He told Ms Smith in March that her public criticism of Professor Nutt risked discouraging scientists from working with the Government.

Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat science spokesman, said: “The revelation of Lord Drayson’s e-mails, and the support for David Nutt from the government Chief Scientific Adviser, shows that the Home Secretary’s position is unsustainable.

“It is time for Alan Johnson to recognise that he blundered over his decision, and the manner of it, because the Government is facing a deepening crisis of confidence from the scientific community.”

Mr Johnson was backed by the Prime Minister, who said: “I think Alan Johnson made the right decision because we cannot send mixed messages. Advisers advise and ministers have to make decisions.”

Fresh evidence supporting Professor Nutt’s view that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or cigarettes has also emerged from new research led by one of his former colleagues on the ACMD.

Matthew Hickman, Reader in Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of Bristol, has found that thousands of young people would have to stop smoking the drug heavily to prevent even a single case of schizophrenia or psychosis — the Government’s main justification for reclassifying it as a Class B drug.

“The likely impact of reclassifying cannabis in the UK on schizophrenia or psychosis incidence is very uncertain,” Dr Hickman said.

In a study published in the journal Addiction, Dr Hickman’s team examined the evidence for a link between cannabis and psychosis, the background risk of psychosis among different age groups and sexes, and the numbers of cannabis smokers in the UK.

It found that while there was evidence to suggest that heavy cannabis smokers might have twice the normal risk of developing psychosis, the reclassification of cannabis would have to have a very large deterrent effect to greatly influence public health.

To prevent one case of psychosis, it would be necessary to stop at least 2,800 men aged 20 to 24 from smoking the drug heavily, or 4,700 men aged 35 to 39. For women, it would be necessary to dissuade at least 5,470 smokers in the younger age group, or at least 10,870 in the older one.

For light cannabis use, a single case of psychosis would be prevented only if more than 10,000 young men or nearly 30,000 young women were to stop smoking the drug.

Dr Hickman would not comment on Professor Nutt’s sacking, though he is understood to be among the ACMD members who have written to Mr Johnson to express their concerns. Instead, he referred The Times to a statement he made about the addiction paper.

“Preventing cannabis use is important for many reasons — including reducing tobacco and drug dependence and improving school performance,” Dr Hickman’s statement said. “But our evidence suggests that focusing on schizophrenia may have been misguided.

“Our research cannot resolve the question whether cannabis causes schizophrenia but does show that many people need to give up cannabis in order to have an impact on the number of people with schizophrenia. The likely impact of reclassifying cannabis in the UK on schizophrenia or psychosis incidence is very uncertain.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6902240.ece

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Introducing... Positronics Cannabis Seeds

Pick ‘n’ Mix Cannabis Seeds are proud to announce the addition of Positronics Seeds to their comprehensive list of cannabis seeds breeders.

Positronics Seeds Company collaborated closely and actively in the development and birth of the first cannabis hybrids at the start of the 80s. New varieties from Holland were acquired and it was decided to relocate there to start working on the first hybrid strains in a professional manner. They were pioneers in developing the revolutionary technique of cultivating sinsemilla plants from cuttings. Positronics became established as the most pioneering company in selective cannabis breeding.

All Positronics Seeds come as feminised seeds and you can choose from either single seeds or packs of five.

The Strains

Here is the complete list of strains:

Black Widow
Light endogamic cross between two exceptional indica varieties. The Misty gene was revolutionary in the 8Os. The origin of this variety remains a closely guarded secret but, given its high CBD levels, Positronics decided to preserve it by importing it directly from the USA. During the mid nineties, White Widow was launched and quickly became one of the most prestigious varieties on the market. Positronics decided to combine the two varieties and recommend its use for medicinal purposes due to its high level of CBD concentration.

Blue Rhino
Blue Rhino is the result of meticulous selection of hundreds of plants as part of a classic cross- breeding process that guarantees one of the strongest and exquisite hybrids that the most experienced growers were demanding. From the Blue strain, an original female from British Colombia was selected for its unique organoleptic properties that contribute a taste and aroma reminiscent of midway between blueberry and gooseberry. Rhino’s strain, owing to its high CBD levels, is renowned for its medicinal � almost narcotic � virtues, it is worth highlighting that it is a perfect hybrid of Afghan, Brazilian and Indian plants.

Caramelice
The skunk’s varieties supposed a successful for the cannabis growing. Its citric flavour and taste fascinated hundreds of thousands of farmers, whom continue filling the gardens with these varieties. Positronics has created a Skunk for the XXI century. Caramelice captures the aroma and taste of its parents, but it’s more resistant to fungus attacks and is faster flowering, both handicaps of skunk variety.

Claustrum
Take yourself off to a medieval cathedral. Claustrum is our sativa plant masterpiece: a cross between three strains of highly heterozygous families: Kali Mist, Super Silver Haze and Jack Herer. The first cross was between Super Silver Haze & Kali Mist, which has a highly unpredictable descendancy. Notwithstanding, a plant with 50% of the genes of its two ancestors was selected. This super-sativa-hybrid was crossed with Jack Herer, one of the best-ever varieties. As a result, Claustrum is a fusion between the world’s best sativas.

Critical #47
Superb hybridisation between two of the sweetest varieties on the market: Critical Mass and AK47. Represents perfection in the development of Skunk varieties. By cross-breeding the two varieties, we have noticeably enhanced the old Skunk taste.

Jack Diesel
Two myths of cannabis crossed together to produce a variety that is far better than its parents. The power of one of the most famous hybrids in the world, Jack Herer, is combined to the strength and aromas of the recently discovered New York City Diesel. The resulting synergy of the final hybrid from parents of the highest ‘pedigree’ makes it indispensable in the menu of all growers, from beginners to ‘connoisseurs’.

Purple Haze #1
Created in the USA during the 70s, it became famous because of the Jimmy Hendrix song. That variety differs greatly to the one offered nowadays by Positronics as, in the beginning, Purple Haze was characterised by medium-low psychoactivity and minimal production. Hazes were too pure to flower and did not develop adequately. Despite this, it was the most smoked variety at Woodstock. Since then Positronics have kept this variety a jealously-guarded secret to relaunch it nearly 40 years later to get you hooked on the hippy generation vibe that we miss so much.

Plus... We've got some more new additions coming very soon - so stay tuned!

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Sacked drugs adviser Nutt may set up new body

The government's drug advice body is "fatally flawed" and should be reconstituted as an independent organisation along the lines of the Bank of England, according to former government drugs adviser David Nutt, who was sacked last week in a row over the classification of cannabis. Nutt said that if the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was not given more autonomy in future he would consider setting up an alternative committee to provide independent advice on drugs.

"Unless this issue is resolved properly, you're going to have to have an independent group. I know several members of the council will join me if things aren't resolved next Tuesday," he said. "It's obvious the politicians are out of step, that the rest of the world has a more mature view about drugs than politicians.

Next week the remaining members of the ACMD will meet the home secretary, Alan Johnson, to decide on the future for the group. Speaking at a briefing today, Nutt said that an independent drug advisory body would keep the issue out of party politics. "Most scientists would prefer an independent body that says 'these are the harms of drugs, we'll rate them on a classification system then you decide on what the appropriate penalties are'. Politicians cannot decide on harm, they can only decide on matters in their province."

Nutt said that the row over his sacking had affected the future work of the ACMD, with several reviews on the recreational use of emerging drugs halted. These include spice, a herbal mixture sprayed with psychoactive compounds, the sedative GBL and the amphetamine-like BZP. In addition, the arguments had stopped work highlighting the dangers of alcohol.

"Liver disease will become the biggest medical problem, outside psychiatric disorders, in the next 10 years," said Nutt. "Most of that is driven by the toxic effects of alcohol on the liver. Government has to wake up to this timebomb of alcohol."

He said he supported chief medical officer Liam Donaldson's recent proposals to increase the cost of alcoholic drinks, though Nutt went as far as to say alcohol should triple in price.

Nutt was also critical of Tory policy on drugs. "The Tories have been making quite a lot of old-fashioned statements about the need to go back to 'get them off and keep them clean and lock them up' sort of approaches to drug abuse. That I think would be potentially very dangerous."

Though he supported the idea of helping people off drug dependency, he said that the risks for people who relapse should be considered carefully.

"There's good evidence now that in a society where you have abstinence-based approaches, the death rates go up. The reason is quite clear � when you stop using heroin, you lose tolerance, so when you start again with the dose you used to take, you're dead."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/nov/04/david-nutt-acmd-independent

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Brown faces a new battle with discord in Labour's ranks

The British prime minister, Gordon Brown, has been plunged into a tense confrontation with some of the country's leading scientists over government policy on illegal drug-taking.

They are furious that he has fired the head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Professor David Nutt, for publicly challenging the government over the dangers of cannabis.

Nutt reckons that the legal drugs, alcohol and nicotine, are more of a risk to users than cannabis and he has been publicly campaigning against the recent government decision to treat it as a class B drug.

Yesterday, Dr Les King, another member of the Advisory Council, resigned in protest at Nutt being denied 'freedom of expression' and a top Labour-supporting peer and scientist, Robert Winston, said the sacking showed "a rather poor understanding of the value of science".

It is easy to see why Brown was unwilling to keep a scientific adviser who accused him of changing policy "on a whim" but the whole embarrassing episode underpins the image of the prime minister as an autocratic control freak who only listens to those who are willing to agree with him.

The very public furore comes at a time when Brown is also caught up in an even more awkward row with leaders of the armed forces about the lack of resources for fighting the war in Afghanistan.

'In blood Stepp'd in so far? Towards Realism in Afghanistan' is the lurid title of a short but damning analysis of the strategy and conduct of the war, which is published today by the Centre for Policy Studies.

Author Adam Holloway is an MP, a member of the Commons Defence Committee and a former Grenadier Guard. He claims that the real beneficiary of the war is al-Qa'ida: "Put starkly, our current situation is working against the West's security interest and is making attacks on the streets of Britain more, not less, likely. . . Before 2006 who had heard of Musa Qala, Sangin or Kajaki? Today they are global rallying cries across the websites of global jihad. Places like Helmand are, for al-Qa'ida, a gigantic film studio."

The pressure on Brown over Afghanistan was intensified at the weekend by the leaking of a memo about the risks to Nato troops because of the shortage of helicopters. It was written in June by Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe just three weeks before he was killed by a roadside bomb.

The news of the memo coincided with a devastating indictment of negligence and incompetence within the Ministry of Defence over the crash of a Nimrod reconnaissance jet in 2006.

There will be more embarrassment for the government over the next few months as the public enquiry into the Iraq invasion gets under way. One of its key witnesses will be Tony Blair, who seems to be still nursing hopes of becoming president of the European Union.

Business Minister Peter Mandelson says in an interview to be shown on the BBC news channel today: "He would like to do the job. But when I talk to him, I don't feel it's a life or death question for him. He doesn't want it so much he couldn't live without it -- but he's committed to it."

That's not exactly the kind of enthusiastic reference that would get a candidate short-listed for an ordinary job. But behind the scenes, Blair is, according to the former SDP leader, Lord Owen, "campaigning very vigorously".

One man determined to stop him at all costs is the Labour MP, Peter Kilfoyle, who, in 1994, was the first MP to sign the nomination papers for Blair in the party leadership election.

Kilfoyle used to be on such good terms with the Blairs that he turned up dressed as Santa Claus for their children at Christmas. Now, like others, he is disillusioned and he has tabled a Commons motion stating: "On his record in international affairs, Tony Blair is wholly unsuitable to be president of the European Union."

The foreign secretary, David Miliband, has not only been talking up Blair as president but also, more privately, promoting his own claims to be the new 'High Representative' of the EU.

Cynics at Westminster think that Brown likes the idea of pushing Miliband off to Brussels so as to leave the way clear for his cabinet ally, Ed Balls, to succeed him as party leader if Labour, as expected, is beaten in the general election next May.

Removing David Miliband from the Westminster stage would also pave the way for Peter Mandelson to replace him as foreign secretary before the election and for David's younger brother, Ed, the climate change minister, to put in a challenge for the leadership after it.

- Nicholas Leonard

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/nicholas-leonard-brown-faces-a-new-battle-with-discord-in-labours-ranks-1930729.html

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David Nutt's dangerous drug list

Professor David Nutt was last week forced to resign from his role as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Research by Nutt and his colleagues, published in the medical journal the Lancet in 2007, rates the following as the most dangerous drugs, in descending order from the most harmful:

1. Heroin
2. Cocaine
3. Barbiturates
4. Street methadone
5. Alcohol
6. Ketamine
7. Benzodiazepines
8. Amphetamine
9. Tobacco
10. Buprenorphine
11. Cannabis
12. Solvents
13. 4-MTA
14. LSD
15. Methylphenidate
16. Anabolic steroids
17. GHB
18. Ecstasy
19. Alkyl nitrates
20. Khat

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/nov/02/david-nutt-dangerous-drug-list

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David Nutt's sacking causes mass revolt against Alan Johnson

The home secretary faces mass resignations from the government's drug advisory body over his decision to force out its chairman, who accused ministers of distorting scientific evidence on cannabis.

Two members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs resigned yesterday in protest at Alan Johnson's treatment of Professor David Nutt. Another member told the Guardian that the experts were "planning collective action" against Johnson, adding: "Everybody is devastated. We're all considering our positions."

Nutt said there was "no future" for the council in its present form, and it is thought the group's members may use a meeting next Monday to announce a mass resignation.

In a letter in today's Guardian, Johnson accuses Nutt of "campaigning against government policy" but insists he was not forced out because of his opinions.

"Professor Nutt was not sacked for his views, which I respect but disagree with," he writes. "He was asked to go because he cannot be both a government adviser and a campaigner against government policy."

Scientists on the council are said to be preparing a letter to ministers seeking assurances that they will remain free to set their agenda and to speak freely about their research and findings.

The Times today reported that it was possible the 28 remaining members would quit if their concerns were not addressed before a council meeting next week.

The collapse of the panel, which provides ministers with evidence about the harm caused by different drugs, would be a severe embarrassment for the government and deal a heavy political blow to Johnson, who has so far steered clear of the controversies that dogged many of his predecessors at the Home Office.

As the row intensified yesterday, Nutt said he had been contacted by more than half the council's members, who had shared their "horror and disgust" over the manner of his dismissal and were now considering resigning en masse.

Dr Les King, a former head of drug intelligence at the Forensic Science Service, was first to act, followed by Marion Walker, the head of the substance misuse service at Berkshire NHS foundation trust.

King said he had decided to step down because he felt Johnson had denied Nutt his "freedom of expression".

He said that while the government had "a right" to reject the panel's advice, its attitude towards the advisory body had changed.

Nutt said he could "fully understand" why his two former colleagues had chosen to resign. "The government has interfered with the scientific processes of the panel for several years and it has caused significant resentment," he said.

"People are very much considering their positions and they have made it clear they will not continue under the current regime. There is no future for the Advisory [Council] on the Misuse of Drugs in the current way it operates."

Although Johnson would not comment on yesterday's resignations, he went on television to step up his attack on Nutt's conduct, insisting he had "crossed the line" with his remarks.

Charles Clarke, the former home secretary, said today: "The criticism of him [Nutt] is [that he was] campaigning. If that is the case, it was wrong. I cannot judge that."

Clarke argued that the system of classification was "trying to do too many things": not only classifying drugs according to the medical evidence, but also "sending messages about how people should behave in relation to drugs".

But he said the medical community had the right to complain about a government decision and to know that their advice was going to be listened to and "seriously considered".

And in another blow for Johnson, Lord Drayson, the science and innovation minister responsible for coordinating scientific advice across Whitehall, revealed yesterday that he was not consulted or informed by the secretary of state before Nutt's dismissal. Although he did not make any official comment, Drayson's Twitter account said he would be "asking why he was not informed, getting facts and finding a solution".

In an update this morning, he wrote that Johnson had "assured me of the importance both he and his department places on the academic freedom of advisers".

In an angry interview with Sky News yesterday, Johnson said: "You cannot have a chief adviser at the same time stepping into the public field and campaigning against government decisions. You can do one or the other; you can't do both."

Johnson said it was not the job of scientific advisers to "just keep coming back and back and back" to overturn ministerial decisions. He also stressed that the decision to force Nutt out had been his alone and he had not consulted the prime minister, Gordon Brown.

The home secretary said: "I've got enormous respect for the advisory council. I want to meet them very soon. I've got enormous respect for the scientific community. They've got to understand that Professor Nutt crossed this line between offering advice ... and then campaigning against the government on political decisions."

But Johnson found himself under fire from members of the scientific community. Lord Winston, the Labour peer and professor of science and society at Imperial College London, said he was "very surprised and disappointed" by Johnson's actions.

"I think that if governments appoint expert advice they shouldn't dismiss it so lightly," he said.

"I think it shows a rather poor understanding of the value of science."

The sacking follows the publication of a paper by the Centre for Crime and Justice at King's College London, based on a lecture Nutt delivered in July.

Nutt repeated his familiar view that illicit drugs should be classified according to the actual evidence of the harm they cause, and pointed out that alcohol and tobacco caused more harm than LSD, ecstasy and cannabis. Alcohol should come fifth behind cocaine, heroin, barbiturates and methadone. Tobacco should rank ninth, ahead of cannabis, LSD and ecstasy, he said. He also argued that smoking cannabis created only a "relatively small risk" of psychotic illness.

The Lib Dem science spokesman, Dr Evan Harris, who spoke to scientists over the weekend, accused Johnson of "political thuggery". He said the home secretary's actions could create a crisis in government policymaking if the drugs advisory panel was left unable to function or if experts on other panels resigned.

This morning David Cameron branded the row "unseemly".

"What seems to have happened here is the breakdown of confidence and mutual confidence between adviser and minister and some very unseemly scenes have followed," the Conservative leader said.

"But I am very clear in terms of the actual policy that we should not be changing classifications. We should be keeping them where we are, yes, on drugs, but also on alcohol."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/02/david-nutt-alan-johnson-drugs

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Science is on the side of drug adviser sacked to make Labour look like saviours

SIR � The sacking of Professor David Nutt as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (report (October 31) is clearly wrong. The science is on his side.

However there is a deeper political agenda here which exposes the populism of the Labour Party leadership.

In my opinion cannabis is very unlikely to cause schizophrenia. After 35 years as a psychiatrist I cannot recall many cases of so called cannabis-induced schizophrenia where there has not been a family history of schizophrenia.

Professor Robin Murray published one of several family studies that show that cannabis induced psychosis is indeed associated with a positive family history of schizophrenia.

One draws the conclusion that schizophrenia, or its early effects before it becomes clinically diagnosable, is causing the cannabis smoking rather than the other way round. (For some reason Professor Murray ignores his own study and others that support the fact that "cannabis psychosis" is indeed familial.)

The deeper malaise is the need for the Labour Party leadership to portray themselves as the great protectors of the British people, so that they can win votes. The party leadership have convinced themselves that, by creating a moral panic about cannabis, ecstasy and crime, they will be seen as our saviours.

The reality about cannabis is more complex as Professor Nutt has so carefully explained. The same is true about crime and antisocial behaviour, where Labour pretends parents are to blame, and need punishment as much as their children.

It is sad to see the Labour leaders behaving like this so wilfully. It is no surprise that people think they are time-expired as politicians. Only the Liberal Democrats have it right on cannabis.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/6480486/Science-is-on-the-side-of-drug-adviser-sacked-to-make-Labour-look-like-saviours.html

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On the quiet, the US is legalising marijuana

You know things are shifting in America when Fortune magazine, the bible for business journalism, runs a cover story titled “Is pot already legal?”. You also know it when Barack Obama’s Department of Justice publishes a long-expected memo signalling that the federal government will no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries if they are legal under state law. That happened formally this month.

It was not, moreover, a symbolic gesture. Marijuana for medical reasons — to tackle chemotherapy-induced nausea or Aids-related wasting or glaucoma, among other conditions — is now legal in 13 states, including the biggest, California. Next year, 13 more states are planning referendums or new laws following suit. Last week a California legislative committee held the first hearings not simply on whether medical marijuana should remain legal, but on whether all marijuana should be decriminalised, full stop. The incentive? The vast amounts of money the bankrupt state could raise by taxing cannabis.

Now look at the polling on the question. In 1970, 84% of Americans supported keeping marijuana illegal. Today, that number has collapsed to 54%. The proportion believing that marijuana should be legal has gone from 18% at the end of the 1960s to 44% today. On current trends, a majority of Americans will favour legalisation by the end of Obama’s first term. In the western states, 53% already favour legalising and taxing the stuff. Support for legalisation is strongest among the young — the Obama generation — but has climbed among self-described Republicans as well.

But the reality is already ahead of the polls. Take a trip, so to speak, to Los Angeles today, where one would be forgiven for thinking that marijuana was already legal. There are more than 800 marijuana dispensaries in the city — and an estimated 7,000 in the state of California as a whole (many times more than in Holland).

Getting a doctor’s recommendation for marijuana is easier than getting health insurance — just look at the ads in the papers, where a consultation costs about $200. The dispensaries range from the dime store to elaborate palaces of capitalist taste. Seminars are held for entrepreneurs who want to start a business selling medical cannabis. On display are sophisticated strains that can provide exquisitely tailored effects: some best for countering nausea, some for building appetite, others for going to sleep, others for staying alert or for watching movies or for general relaxation.

The concentration of THC, the active compound, is much higher than in the past. But since no one has ever overdosed on marijuana, it’s difficult to say why that matters. Yes, if someone has a history of mental illness, it’s not that smart to experiment with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. But it isn’t smart for such people to take any drugs — or too much alcohol — for that matter. For most people, stronger pot merely translates into a need for less of it to get the same effect. Too much and you’ll likely nod off — and wake up later with no hangover. If pubs served pot rather than beer, crime rates would plummet.

Americans, for whom the use of marijuana is almost a rite of passage in most colleges, know all this. And at some point they stopped pretending otherwise. The past three presidents smoked marijuana in their earlier days, even if only one has openly written about it. (Obama, when asked the Clinton question — if he had inhaled — responded: “I thought that was the point.”) In an online press conference with his younger supporters, the first question was about whether legalising and taxing pot would be a good thing to help raise revenues. Obama laughed it off. With an annual deficit of more than a trillion dollars, he may not be able to laugh it off much longer.

The key to the shift has been the emphasis on marijuana’s medical properties. Human beings have used marijuana as medicine for millennia. It was once sold in the States by Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Allowing this compassionate use for a few soon revealed, accidentally, how harmless it is. It is not chemically addictive, although some mild withdrawal can happen if you are a regular pot-smoker and go cold turkey. Its side-effects are minimal compared with those of most authorised drugs for similar conditions. It is far less addictive than tobacco or alcohol. It leads to no measurable degree of antisocial behaviour, as is the case with, say, crystal meth or cocaine or heroin. Many of its users are successful, productive members of society who simply prefer it to alcohol as a relaxant in the evening or as a way to get through cancer treatment.

Denying Aids patients a tool to stay alive tips the balance. I have one friend who would never have been able to tolerate the medications that saved his life without it. That’s pretty persuasive stuff and lots of people have similar first-hand experiences. A gateway drug? Yes, many users of hard drugs smoked pot in the first place. But almost all started out with alcohol as well — and that is not illegal.

Of course, nothing is inevitable. The police still police it and hundreds of thousands of Americans — disproportionately black and poor — are in jail for it. Los Angeles’s failure to regulate adequately its hundreds of dispensaries may lead to connections with organised crime that could come back to delegitimise the whole thing.

I give it a couple of years to become a non-issue or to go into reverse. And my bet is that in a decade’s time, the banning of cannabis will seem as strange as the banning of alcohol. In the end, unnecessary prohibition undermines itself. And this time around, there are millions of cancer and HIV patients who are on the side of legalising and some truly desperate branches of government looking to see what they can tax next. In fact, I’ll go further: sooner rather than later, marijuana may be more acceptable than tobacco.

The need for taboos is eternal. But the object of the taboo is always shifting. The age of tobacco may be ending; and the millennium of marijuana may be about to begin.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6897958.ece

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