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Johnson to calm fury over Nutt exit
10.11.09
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Home Secretary Alan Johnson will try to calm scientists' anger over the sacking of Professor David Nutt at crisis talks with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
The sacking of the Government's chief drugs adviser more than a week ago prompted a wave of protest from the scientific community.
Prof Nutt has warned that his former colleagues could resign en masse at Tuesday's meeting such is the disquiet at the treatment of their chairman over controversial remarks about cannabis, Ecstasy and LSD.
Science minister Lord Drayson acknowledged earlier this week that there was "serious concern" among the scientists.
Prof Nutt, who has been barred from the meeting, was sacked after views he expressed in a lecture were published in a paper by the Centre for Crime and Justice at King's College London.
He argued that Ecstasy and LSD were less harmful than alcohol and cigarettes, and criticised the Government's decision to upgrade the legal classification of cannabis from C to B.
One of his most controversial statements was that taking Ecstasy was no more risky than horse riding.
Mr Johnson said that Prof Nutt had failed to give the Home Office advance warning of his paper and said he had "lost confidence" in the committee chair.
Two other members of the council have since quit and the remaining members threatened to follow suit unless Mr Johnson addressed "serious concerns" about the council's relationship with Government in an urgent meeting.
In a letter, signed by a majority of ACMD members, they called for "clarity and assurances" from ministers about how they viewed the ACMD and how they would treat its advice in future.
