Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
administration.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/10/qat-herbal-stimulant-ban


Herbal stimulant qat faces ban for political gain, says drug expert

A drugs expert claims a new Home Office review into the herbal stimulant
qat is intended to pave the way for an unjustified ban so that the
government can appear tough on drugs.

Qat, which is chewed in leaf form, is popular among Somali, Kenyan,
Ethiopian and Yemeni immigrants. There are no figures for its usage but
more than seven tonnes a week are imported into the UK, according to
estimates.

A 2005 report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)
recommended that the plant should not be a controlled substance in the UK.
But last month the Home Office announced that research into its "social
harms" would be delivered by the end of the year and be followed by
another ACMD assessment.

Dr Axel Klein, an expert witness for the 2005 report, said the study was
"superfluous" as there was no new evidence. "What is being dressed up as a
scientific inquiry is just a figleaf to provide a justification of a
toughening of the rules and to provide Alan Campbell [the drugs minister]
with a platform as being tough on drugs."

Based at the University of Kent, Klein is an expert in addictive
behaviour. He said the government's reclassification of cannabis from
class C back to class B, and the rejection of ACMD advice recommending
ecstasy be downgraded, was an indication that qat would be outlawed. "The
government has done away with evidence-based policy making on drugs," he
said.

Some of the qat imported into the UK goes on to Sweden and the US, where
it is illegal. Supporters of a UK ban, including the Conservative party,
claim the herb causes psychosis and mouth cancer and is responsible for a
range of social ills. The Labour MP Mike Gapes, who says that a
substantial number of people in the Somali community back a ban, also
wants the drug made illegal.

But David Anderson, professor of African studies at Oxford University, who
co-wrote The Qat Controversy with Klein, said: "The medical evidence [of
harm] is so flimsy compared to other substances. It's really quite
difficult to justify [a ban]."


-- 
Dr John Watson
Baker Street

On Tue, 12 May 2009 05:11:15 +0100, Dr John Watson
 wrote:

>But David Anderson, professor of African studies at Oxford University, who
>co-wrote The Qat Controversy with Klein, said: "The medical evidence [of
>harm] is so flimsy compared to other substances. It's really quite
>difficult to justify [a ban]."

Bollox. 

It is dead easy to justify a ban. Just put a Daily Mail journalist on
the job for ten minutes and angry mobs will be storming Parliament
demanding criminalisation with life imprisonment for Qat.

I read a Swedish report on the social effects of Qat a while ago. I'll
post a brief synopsis of it when and if I get the time to dig it out.

Svenne

Dr John Watson wrote:
> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
> administration.
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/10/qat-herbal-stimulant-ban
> 
> 
> Herbal stimulant qat faces ban for political gain, says drug expert
> 
> A drugs expert claims a new Home Office review into the herbal stimulant
> qat is intended to pave the way for an unjustified ban so that the
> government can appear tough on drugs.
> 
> Qat, which is chewed in leaf form, is popular among Somali, Kenyan,
> Ethiopian and Yemeni immigrants. There are no figures for its usage but
> more than seven tonnes a week are imported into the UK, according to
> estimates.

That's ok then - shortly someone will be along to tell the government 
that banning it is racist and it won't happen.

> 
> A 2005 report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)
> recommended that the plant should not be a controlled substance in the UK.
> But last month the Home Office announced that research into its "social
> harms" would be delivered by the end of the year and be followed by
> another ACMD assessment.

'Social harms' eh? I see they have substituted a muesli bar for the 
chocolate bar in the army field ration packs. Mind you, ban sugar and 
their box would have nothing but boil-in-the-bag paella in it.

On Tue, 12 May 2009 10:03:59 +0100, Maria 
wrote:

>> Qat, which is chewed in leaf form, is popular among Somali, Kenyan,
>> Ethiopian and Yemeni immigrants. There are no figures for its usage but
>> more than seven tonnes a week are imported into the UK, according to
>> estimates.
>
>That's ok then - shortly someone will be along to tell the government 
>that banning it is racist and it won't happen.

The report on Somalian immigrants in Sweden I read highlighted the
role Qat plays in disintigrating Somalian social cohesion.

Just trot out a few Somalian feminists and concerned social workers to
recite a few sob and scare stories and that will take care of the
"banning Qat is racist" angle.

Svenne

On May 12, 5:11 am, Dr John Watson 
wrote:
> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
> administration.
>

The US administration banned ephedrine a few years ago under pressure
from the major pharmaceuticals (big party benefactors).

Ephedrine works as a weight loss supplement, you see.  Yes,
accompanied by exercise, it works.

And the pharmaceuticals didn't like it one bit, they wanted to charge
an arm and a leg for useless products that didn't work.

jinty.hopper@gmx.co.uk wrote:
> On May 12, 5:11 am, Dr John Watson 
> wrote:
>> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
>> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
>> administration.
>>
> 
> The US administration banned ephedrine a few years ago under pressure
> from the major pharmaceuticals (big party benefactors).

Got a cite for that? According to wikipedia Ephedrine itself has never 
been illegal in the United States. If you believe that statement is 
incorrect then it would be nice to have a cite to fix the article.

Martin wrote:
> jinty.hopper@gmx.co.uk wrote:
>> On May 12, 5:11 am, Dr John Watson 
>> wrote:
>>> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
>>> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
>>> administration.
>>>
>>
>> The US administration banned ephedrine a few years ago under pressure
>> from the major pharmaceuticals (big party benefactors).
>
> Got a cite for that? According to wikipedia Ephedrine itself has never
> been illegal in the United States. If you believe that statement is
> incorrect then it would be nice to have a cite to fix the article.

Ephedrine is the derivatrive of Ephedra, which was banned by the FDA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra

The derivative isn't banned. The OP is probably confising the two.

Martin wrote:
> jinty.hopper@gmx.co.uk wrote:
>> On May 12, 5:11 am, Dr John Watson 
>> wrote:
>>> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
>>> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
>>> administration.
>>>
>>
>> The US administration banned ephedrine a few years ago under pressure
>> from the major pharmaceuticals (big party benefactors).
>
> Got a cite for that? According to wikipedia Ephedrine itself has never
> been illegal in the United States. If you believe that statement is
> incorrect then it would be nice to have a cite to fix the article.

The FDA's own link; http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2004/204_ephedra.html

Janitor of Lunacy wrote:
> Martin wrote:
>> jinty.hopper@gmx.co.uk wrote:
>>> On May 12, 5:11 am, Dr John Watson 
>>> wrote:
>>>> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
>>>> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
>>>> administration.
>>>>
>>> The US administration banned ephedrine a few years ago under pressure
>>> from the major pharmaceuticals (big party benefactors).
>> Got a cite for that? According to wikipedia Ephedrine itself has never
>> been illegal in the United States. If you believe that statement is
>> incorrect then it would be nice to have a cite to fix the article.
> 
> Ephedrine is the derivatrive of Ephedra, which was banned by the FDA:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra
> 
> The derivative isn't banned. The OP is probably confising the two. 

Of course you're right. Maybe the OP is confused. You and I might know 
the difference, but the OP made a definite statement about federal law, 
so it should be assumed he knows what he is talking about which is why I 
was interested in a cite for that law.

Janitor of Lunacy wrote:
> Martin wrote:
>> jinty.hopper@gmx.co.uk wrote:
>>> On May 12, 5:11 am, Dr John Watson 
>>> wrote:
>>>> Nothing at all new here, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms have all
>>>> suffered from political spin to try to get votes for a failing
>>>> administration.
>>>>
>>> The US administration banned ephedrine a few years ago under pressure
>>> from the major pharmaceuticals (big party benefactors).
>> Got a cite for that? According to wikipedia Ephedrine itself has never
>> been illegal in the United States. If you believe that statement is
>> incorrect then it would be nice to have a cite to fix the article.
> 
> The FDA's own link; http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2004/204_ephedra.html

This is where the so-called alternative medicines fail. If they are 
peddling active drugs, then they should be controlled if they have 
potentially serious side effects - stroke, heart failure, psychological 
effects. If they have no pharmaceutical effects then they object when 
the FDA bring prosecutions on the quack-peddlers for false advertising.

Now, if we can only get a few peddlers of distilled water locked up for 
charging $100/gram for the stuff progress will really be made. But with 
the big-eared clown (aka prince charles) advocating distilled water as a 
cure all it'll never happen - but good money if you can swing it.


> 
>