#38 Meet the Drug & Brain Expert Fired For Exposing the Truth! Dr David Nutt episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 16, 2025 · 57 MIN

#38 Meet the Drug & Brain Expert Fired For Exposing the Truth! Dr David Nutt

from The Giants Shoulder · host Evan McGloughlin

Professor David Nutt is the neuro­psychopharmacologist who built the world’s first science-based drug-harm scale, led the pioneering LSD brain-scan, and lost his post as the UK government’s chief drug adviser after declaring that alcohol is deadlier than LSD. He’s the author of Drugs Without the Hot Air, Drink, Cannabis, and Psychedelics, and he’s now engineering a hangover-free alternative to booze.Drug policy isn’t broken by accident—it’s broken by design. From kids denied life-saving cannabis to a global war on psychedelics that stalled mental-health breakthroughs for half a century, Professor Nutt reveals how politics trumped evidence, how psychedelic science is staging a comeback, and why the next revolution in public health might be an alcohol you can enjoy without poisoning your liver.Expect to learn why alcohol tops the real league table of harm, how the famous drug-harm chart was built (and banned), what happened inside the MRI during the first LSD scan, the truth about cannabis and schizophrenia, how MDMA treats PTSD and ketamine tackles addiction, why prohibition breeds deadlier drugs like fentanyl, how hangover-free “Alcarelle” targets GABA without the toxic fallout, the regulatory red tape still strangling psychedelic research, practical advice for safer drug policy, and much more.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:35 The Truth About Drugs: A Controversial Revelation05:32 The Political Landscape of Drug Policy08:23 The Evidence vs. Beliefs: A Scientific Approach11:36 The Role of Alcohol in Drug Policy14:32 The Impact of Political Decisions on Drug Legislation17:27 The Historical Context of Drug Bans20:34 The Case of Medical Cannabis: A Heartbreaking Story30:59 The Politics of Cannabis Legislation33:06 Medical Cannabis: A Health Scandal36:25 The Role of Medical Professionals38:35 Neuroscience and Cannabis: Risks and Benefits42:36 The Consequences of Drug Prohibition50:47 Successful Drug Policies: Lessons from Portugal55:38 The Case for Recreational Cannabis Legalization…📚 RECOMMENDED READINGBuy Nutt's Books Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health: https://amzn.to/4dZTP9ZPsychedelics: The Revolutionary Drugs That Could Change Your Life―A Guide from the Expert: https://amzn.to/3SJXAX6Drugs without the hot air: Making sense of legal and illegal drugs: https://amzn.to/4kyu7eSCannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health: https://amzn.to/3FOiLo2..._Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249..._Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)...

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#38 Meet the Drug & Brain Expert Fired For Exposing the Truth! Dr David Nutt

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