Alan Johnson is within his rights to sack Professor Nutt, if that is what he wants to do.
But it was a foolish thing to do. Government scientists will from today be regarded as lap dogs. So where does that leave us on vaccinations, swine flu, mad cow disease, wheelie bins, climate change etc?
As a matter of fact, I much preferred Professor Nutt's table of drugs to the Home Office one which is blind to alcohol, painkillers, tobacco and all the rest.
Professor Nutt may be comparing apples and pears when he brings in horse riding, which is undoubtedly dangerous and popular, as is rugby. But more people choose cannabis than either and we need need to be honest about the lower risks of dope.
I'm not sure what Lisa is saying. You need people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, most of our national heroes had no qualifications worth the name. It's not a question of waiting to defer to super individuals, but nourishing a whole generation and seeing who wants to offer leadership and then making sure that they are challenged in debate, not worshipped for being powerful.
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