Topic: DRUGS - on November 5, 2013 at 2:19:00 PM CET
Drugs legislation is hampering clinical research, warns David Nutt
The UK's drug laws are preventing scientists from carrying out vital research to unlock our understanding of the brain and find new treatments for conditions such as depression and Parkinson's disease, according to Professor David Nutt, a leading neuroscientist and former government drug adviser.
"Things are actually getting worse," said Nutt, referring to the restrictions placed on research. "It's the dark ages beginning to descend in this field. [The UK] led the world in discovering the constituents of cannabis – about 100 individual substances, all of which can have therapeutic value – and we've exploited virtually none of it because it's too difficult."
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