The Drug Science Podcast
143 episodes
Professor David Nutt has spent a career making the argument for a rational, evidence-based approach to drug policy and drug use. The scientific evidence still challenges perceived wisdom on drugs and for that reason can appear to be contentious. In this podcast, the Professor explores the actual harms and potential benefits of various drugs, challenging myths surrounding classification and legislation, and exploring the societal impact of poorly informed drug policy. Using evidence in public policy should not be controversial. A podcast for anyone interested in understanding the scientific truth about drugs, free from political or moral concern.
63. Indigenous Wisdom with Mark Plotkin
May, 11, 2022
This week’s episode features yet another great speaker at the ESPD55 conference Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist, advocate for tropical forest conservation and the host of Plants of the Gods podcast. Following research at Harvard under Richard Evans Schultes and years of working in a close...
62. Blood of the cocaine war with Wade Davis
Apr, 27, 2022
Wade Davis is a Canadian cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author, and photographer. Davis came to prominence with his 1985 best-selling book The Serpent and the Rainbow about the ‘zombies of Haiti’. He is professor of anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at...
61. Ethnopharmacology Part 2 with Dr Dennis McKenna
Apr, 13, 2022
Dennis Jon McKenna is an American ethnopharmacologist, research pharmacognosist, lecturer and author. He received his doctorate in botanical sciences from the University of British Columbia and completed post-doctoral research fellowships in the National Institute of Mental Health and in the...
60. Ketamine, Cannabis and Alcohol with Prof Celia Morgan
Mar, 30, 2022
This week we’re talking about ketamine with Professor Celia Morgan, a Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter and the academic lead for Exeter Translational Addiction Partnership (ETAP) and Ketamine for Reduction of Alcoholic Relapse (KARE). Professor Morgan is interested in...
59. How to become a psychedelic therapist with Dr Rosalind Watts
Mar, 16, 2022
Dr Watts is a clinical psychologist, a mother, and a nature lover. Her work as the Clinical Lead for Imperial College London’s psilocybin trial, and subsequent role as the Clinical Director at Synthesis Institute, have made her one of the most prominent voices and minds in the field of psychedelic...
58. The Black Review with Dame Carol Black
Mar, 02, 2022
Professor Dame Carol Black studied history at Bristol University, then worked as a schoolteacher, however, in 1965 Black enrolled as a mature student to study medicine which she graduated from at the age of 30. During her career, she’s been an advisor for the government on issues such as the...
57. British vs US Drug Policy with Ethan Nadelmann
Feb, 16, 2022
Ethan Nadelmann studied at Harvard University and London School of Economics and was a lecturer at Princeton University. While at Princeton, Nadelmann’s work focused on drug policy, attracting considerable attention with his articles in Science, Foreign Affairs, National Review and many others. He...
56. Microdosing Psychedelics with Dr James Fadiman
Feb, 02, 2022
James Fadiman is a true man of many talents. Wikipedia calls him an ‘American writer’, but actually, he’s worked in multiple fields, from psychology, through to IT and, finally, to psychedelic research. He studied Psychology at Harvard University and obtained a PhD from Stanford University. As...
55. The Right to Try with Spencer Hawkswell
Jan, 19, 2022
If you were told you had months, weeks or even days left to live...would you care what the law said about consuming psychoactive substances? This week’s episode features Spencer Hawkswell the CEO of TheraPsil - a non-profit coalition dedicated to helping Canadians in medical need access legal,...
54. Ketamine with Paul Glue
Jan, 05, 2022
This week’s episode features Paul Glue, professor of Psychiatry at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand. With a vast experience in both academia and pharmaceutical industry, Paul Glue's research focuses on clinical and basic science to investigate the pharmacology of...
53. Moral Panic with Cory Doctorow
Dec, 22, 2021
Cory Doctorow is a Canadian-British citizen of Eastern European Jewish descent and, frankly, it is no less difficult to grasp his vast interests and points of expertise than his family roots. After attending four universities without obtaining a degree, Cory’s career started with co-founding free...
52. Drug Laws with Niamh Eastwood
Dec, 08, 2021
Niamh Eastwood is the executive director of Release, the national centre offering legal services for drug users. She started at Release as a legal advisor. Now, having worked in drug policy for the last fifteen years she’s co-authored many of Release’s advice booklets and drug policy...
51. Music and Psychedelics with Mendel Kaelen
Nov, 24, 2021
In this week’s episode we'll meet Dr Mendel Kaelen, CEO of Wavepaths, a London-based company researching and developing methods for music-assisted psychotherapy. Prior to Wavepaths, Dr Kaelen worked as a PhD student and post-doctoral neuroscientist at Imperial College London with a special...
50. Labour Party with Dan Carden MP
Nov, 10, 2021
Dan Carden is a British Labour Party politician serving as the MP for Liverpool Walton since 2017. A self-proclaimed “proud Scouser”, Carden highlights his close relationship with Liverpool’s working class and recalls his father being the shop steward during the Liverpool dockers’...
49. Medical Cannabis in the UK with Professor Mike Barnes
Nov, 01, 2021
Professor Mike Barnes is a consultant neurologist and an expert cannabis physician. He dedicated his career to the development of neurological rehabilitation as well as medical cannabis awareness and education. After holding multiple senior NHS management positions, chairing Neurological...
48. Liberal Democrats with Norman Baker
Oct, 27, 2021
Norman Baker, described by our host, professor Nutt, as “the first and last truly honest politician” is a Liberal Democrat and former MP for Lewes in East Sussex. Following three years as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department of Transport he was promoted to Minister of State...
47. Psychedelics for Palliative Care with Dr Margaret Ross
Oct, 13, 2021
Dr Margaret Ross is a Senior Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist from Melbourne, Australia and the Chief Principal Investigator for Australia’s first psilocybin assisted psychotherapy study. Throughout her career, her main focus has been youth mental health and more recently cancer and...
46. Human Behaviour with Dame Theresa Marteau
Sep, 29, 2021
Theresa Marteau is a British health psychologist, professor, and director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge. Her initial research concerned communicating risk information and found out that people usually don’t change their behaviours despite receiving any...
45. Psycholytic therapy with MDMA and LSD with Dr Peter Gasser
Sep, 15, 2021
Today’s episode features Dr Peter Gasser, the president of the Swiss Medical Society for Psycholytic Therapy. Professor Nutt and Dr Gasser talk about the rather unusual and innovative attitude to psychedelic research in Switzerland. How can Britain learn from the Swiss? What are the drug...
44. Ibogaine with Professor Deborah Mash
Sep, 01, 2021
This week on the Drug Science podcast, Professor Deborah Mash tells us about Ibogaine. A hallucinogenic compound derived from the roots of a West African shrub, sometimes used as a treatment for heroin or cocaine addiction. Professor Mash found herself trying to reverse the damage that cocaine had...