David Nutt is a psychiatrist and a neuroscientist at Downing College, Cambridge. His research focuses on illicit drugs—their harm, classification, and potential for therapeutic use in psychiatry. In this episode, David discusses his framework for assessing the potential harm caused by common recreational drugs and explains how they are regulated, which is oftentimes misaligned with actual risk. He describes in detail the neurobiology, mechanisms of action, and addiction potential of alcohol, opiates, cocaine, and methamphetamine and contrasts those with psychedelics, which have been given a similar regulatory classification despite their relatively low risk of harm and their numerous potential therapeutic uses. Additionally, David explains the promise of psychedelics like ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin for treating drug addiction and depression and discusses how political pressures have created roadblocks to future necessary research.
We discuss:
#157 - AMA #22: Losing fat and gaining fat: the lessons of fat flux
#156 - Jake Muise: Humanely harvesting axis deer while alleviating its impact on Hawaii’s vulnerable ecosystems
#155 - Chris Sonnenday, M.D.: The history, challenges, and gift of organ transplantation
#154 - Steve Levitt, Ph.D.: A rogue economist’s view on climate change, mental health, the ethics of experiments, and more
#153 - AMA #21: Deep dive into olive oil, high-intensity exercise, book update, and more
#152 - Michael Rintala, D.C.: Principles of Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
#151 - Alex Hutchinson, Ph.D.: Translating the science of endurance and extreme human performance
#150 - Senator Bill Frist, M.D.: A modern Renaissance man's journey through science, politics, and business
#149 - AMA #20: Simplifying the complexities of insulin resistance: how it's measured, how it manifests in the muscle and liver, and what we can do about it
#148 - Richard Miller, M.D., Ph.D.: The gold standard for testing longevity drugs: the Interventions Testing Program
#147 - Hussein Yassine, M.D.: Deep dive into the “Alzheimer’s gene” (APOE), brain health, and omega-3s
#146 - Guy Winch, Ph.D.: Emotional first aid and how to treat psychological injuries
#145 - AMA #19: Deep dive on Zone 2 training, magnesium supplementation, and how to engage with your doctor
#144 - Phil Maffetone: Optimizing health and performance through maximal aerobic function
#143 - John Ioannidis, M.D., D.Sc.: Why most biomedical research is flawed, and how to improve it
#142 - Robert Abbott: The Bobby Knight story—a cautionary tale of unchecked anger, ego, and winning at all costs
#141 - AMA #18: Deep dive: sugar and sugar substitutes
#140 - Gerald Shulman, M.D., Ph.D.: A masterclass on insulin resistance—molecular mechanisms and clinical implications
#139 - Kristin Neff, Ph.D.: The power of self-compassion
#138 - Lauren Miller Rogen and Richard Isaacson, M.D.: Alzheimer’s disease prevention—patient and doctor perspectives
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