UK Government response to petition 'Psilocybin'

[xudface]

No real surprise here, i suppose!

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Psilocybin - epetition reply

8 January 2008
We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Re Evaluate the new legislation on psilocybin and psilocin containing mushrooms."
Details of Petition:
"On April the 7th 2005, the Drugs Act 2005 was passed, which banned the sale of fresh, psilocybin containing mushrooms. As of July 18th 2005, it was passed that Psilocybin and Psilocin containing mushrooms or spores are to be treated as a Class A drug, along side Heroin, Cocaine, LSD, Crack and other such "hard" drugs. When looking at the chemical structure of the active ingredients in these mostly harmless mushrooms, one should compare the indole tryptamine derivatives. Psilocin, Psilocybin, Baeocystin and Dimethyltryptamine (all hallucinogenic ingredients, some present in mushrooms) all have remarkably similar chemical structures to those of tryptophan, serotonin, tryptamine and indole, all of which are naturally occurring in the human body. Prior to the law, data was misinterpreted and the sale of these harmless mushrooms was abundant. Now, the more dangerous ibotenic acid, muscimol, muscazone and muscarine containing "Fly Agaric" is now prolific amongst recreational drug users."

• Read the petition
• Petitions home page

Read the Government's response

The Government considers that the current control of psilocybe mushrooms is a proportionate step towards protecting public health. There are no current plans to amend the law.


The commercial sale of mind-altering substances raises concerns regarding public health which the Government is fully entitled to address and upon which it is prepared to act. This was the case with mushrooms containing psilocin and psilocybin (commonly known as 'magic mushrooms'), which are hallucinogenic. Since 2003, there had been a considerable increase in the number of outlets selling imported magic mushrooms.


It is also fundamental to our drug laws that they are clear and unambiguous, for the benefit of the public, the enforcement agencies and the judiciary. The Government clarified the legislation in 2005 so that all fungi containing psilocin or psilocybin (an ester of psilocin) are controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 whatever form they are in. Psilocin was already an illicit Class A controlled drug as were magic mushrooms when they were prepared or in the form of a product. Now all magic mushrooms, including fresh magic mushrooms, are also Class A drugs.


Those who oppose this change in the law often refer to the relatively low health risks associated with magic mushroom use compared with other controlled drugs. However, magic mushrooms are a powerful hallucinogen and can cause real harm, especially to vulnerable people, including those vulnerable to self harm whilst under the influence, those with heart conditions and those with mental health problems.
The risk posed to persons by the use of psilocin and psilocybin has been clearly established for many years and was reflected in the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971 and the Misuse of Drugs Act from the outset. Psilocin and psilocybin (and many similar drugs) were included in Schedule 1 to the 1971 Convention, reflecting international consensus that these substances are dangerous and should be subject to the highest level of control. They were placed in the 1971 Act as Class A drugs.


Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, the supply of magic mushrooms as a preparation or product was already a Class A drug offence before the change in the law. Health risks of psilocin and psilocybin are the same whether or not these substances are contained in a preparation or a product. However, it is a matter of legal interpretation what constitutes a preparation or a product. The law was not sufficiently clear on whether fresh magic mushrooms were covered under the 1971 Act, which made it difficult to secure prosecutions.
Under section 21 of the Drugs Act, it is now clear that it is an offence to import, export, produce, supply and possess with intent to supply magic mushrooms, whatever form they are in, whether prepared or fresh.


The Government does not have any current plans to bring fly agaric mushrooms under the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is aware that some of the outlets that previously sold magic mushrooms have now opted to sell the fly agaric, albeit on a significantly reduced scale because the mushroom's toxicity acts as a considerable deterrent to both experimentation and regular use. The Government sees no prospect of the fly agaric mushroom gaining in popularity to the extent that it would pose a significant social and public health problem and therefore present a compelling case for addition to the list of controlled drugs. The mushrooms are poisonous and should not be taken. They are subject to food safety legislation and it is an offence under this legislation to sell food that is unsafe.


http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page14187.asp

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Please post the full article, when posting news
	sad news but useful post, thanks
	Fascinating look into government policy and mindset.
	Thanks for sharing.
	interesting

[chemlove]

When i read things like this i just shake my head and think "what ever happened to freedom of choice" the right to decide what is best for your body. The ability to take the responsibility if you put something in your body you can't handle.

GOV stop telling people what is good for them (especially when you like to do things like add things to public water that isn't good for us and ignore the scientist that say not too.)

GOV stop feeling like you have to guide the 95 percent of humans who are mentally and physically healthy just because one out of ten or one out of twenty people may not be mentally healthy.

and finally GOV stop telling people your doing it for the good of society when you know its extra taxation without reasonable causation.

-------
EDIT
-------

Fluoride is added to the water in several countries though it is known to be bad for you

Did you know that for years fluoride was classified as a toxic waste in this country? In fact, not too long ago its only approved uses were as an insecticide and a RAT POISON! And that's just how your body treats it - as a poison.
Plenty of studies have been done over the years - and the results are frightening. Fluoridation has been linked to immune system alteration, musculoskeletal harm, genetic damage, thyroid dysfunction, and even cancer.


This is just a sample from



http://www.douglassreport.com/report...FQQjPAodAWZwXA

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting

[Zaprenz]

Yeah would have been good but realistically was never going to happen. Well not until any radical changes to drug laws overall occur.

SWIM thinks there was hope when the fresh ones were legal but now they have gone down that road and made them illegal it is far harder to do a 180 and turn back. [Not impossible but far harder, it would mean admitting fault]

[juanathan]

the only reason government HAS power is because it's taking it away from you and everyone else. nothing has changed since medieval times except iPods... it's still the same monarchies and oligarchies just with different figureheads. and whats beautiful about it is you can trust fungus growing from poop more than any political machine run by money and selfishness.

no one has power over MY kingdom except me, no one has power over your kingdom but you. and the ones who restrict that freedom from others will get their comuppins when the end is near.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Wise words. I agree completely.

[Alfa]

Note that the UN has for the first time in its history has spoken out against a drug ban. They explicitly did not want to ban magic mushrooms. So that's simply not true.
And not banning a more dangerous substance, because it is more dangerous defies all logic.
One thing I can only agree with is that the UK was taken by a wave of mushrooms shops and stalls. going from practically nothing to 600 stores in just a few years. They must not have known what hit them.

Reputation Comments on this post:

v.interesting about UN, did not know that

[Evil GIR]

who care what the government thinks, Just go the way of a secret society, grow your own, keep your mouth shut and stay underground, though at least now they
don't shout witch or heretic and try to burn you at the stake.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Pointless

[xudface]

Originally Posted by Evil GIR

who care what the government thinks, Just go the way of a secret society, grow your own, keep your mouth shut and stay underground, though at least now they
don't shout witch or heretic and try to burn you at the stake.

fair enough, but it's more a matter of principal. i'm sure if i was so inclined i could, as you said, go the way of the secret society. but wouldn't it be a lot nicer if i didn't have to?

[KyleR22]

^ By that logic you could tell slaves in the 1800's to "just deal with it." (A bit of an extrapolation there, but I hope you get what I mean.)

[Evil GIR]

Its not as bad as that, we are being controled much like the church used <18 centuray.
They would kill ya for just thinking the world was round.

[rxbandit]

you can still buy fly agaric, but their more dangerous... but were banning psilocybe mushrooms for your own good... seems paradoxical.

You can still use the toxic deadly mushroom as consolation for us banning the benign fun one for your health.