Study Finds: Marijuana, LSD and Ecstacy Less Dangerous Then Alcohol and Tobacco

A Study Recently Published in the UK Finds that Certain Illegal Drugs Are Less Dangerous to Society Then Some Other Legal Drugs

A new study of recreational drug use out of the UK has reached some startling conclusions. The study headed up by professor David Nutt of Britain's Bristol University and his colleagues have proposed a new framework for classifying recreational drugs and harmful substances. Within this new framework alcohol and tobacco were listed higher on the danger scale then other more notorious drugs like: LSD, Ecstasy and Cannabis (more commonly referred to as marijuana). Here is the list of the twenty harmful substances with the number one spot and title of most harmful drug going to Heroin.

1. HEROIN

2. COCAINE

3. BARBITURATES

4. STREET METHADONE

5. ALCOHOL

6. KETAMINE

7. BENZODIAZEPINES

8. AMPHETAMINE

9. TOBACCO

10. BUPRENORPHINE

11. CANNABIS (MARIJUANA, WEED, GANJA, REEFER ETC)

12. SOLVENTS

13. 4-MTA

14. LSD

15. METHYLPHENIDATE

16. ANABOLIC STEROIDS

17. GHB

18. ECSTASY

19. ALKYL NITRATES

20. KHAT

The study compiled this list by examining three key factors regarding the substances: The physical harm done to the user, the drugs potential for addiction, and its impact on society as a whole. The researchers then asked numerous experts in: Law enforcement, psychologists (specializing in addiction), and legal officials to assign scores to twenty different drugs. Nutt and his colleagues then calculated the drugs overall ranking. The end result was the above list, which needless to say has caused a serious uproar as it is in direct conflict with the current UK and US perceptions of specific drugs and the legality of specific substances. "The current drug system is ill thought out and arbitrary." said Nutt. Nutt and his colleagues hope that the conclusions of the study will prompt greater debate about how drugs should be regulated.