Political expediency “rules the roost” over scientific advice, one of the three latest government drug advisers to resign has told BBC News.

Dr Simon Campbell quit the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs on Monday, over the sacking of chief drugs adviser Professor David Nutt.

[...]

He told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme: “When we made our recommendation on cannabis we saw no reason to change the classification and yet the government has already decided to move from Class C to Class B.”

“That can only be because the government saw it as a votes-catching exercise.”

via BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Drugs adviser says politics rules.

Not just votes, I’m sure. Here in the U.S. it’s due to political campaign contributions from those who stand to gain by keeping cannabis illegal, and also the State and Federal budget dollars they’re grubbing for to keep themselves employed. And yes, I’m looking at you, Big Pharma, Big Energy, Big Paper Producer, DEA, Corrections & Police, all the rest who stand to gain from Prohibition… you’re all greedy, uncaring bastards keeping people suffering for your own selfish gain.

Contrary to the belief that the pro-Prohibition people are concerned for our health and safety, all of them have ignored the science of cannabis for decades and used lies to stoke citizen fear and condemnation of a plant that is less dangerous than either alcohol or tobacco. These pro-Prohibition people have allowed our dear citizens to die of cancers and other illnesses that we know cannabis could have helped, as well as, sanctioning 20 million of our fellow citizens to be criminalized and their lives ruined for its use.

History of Weed : Part I
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfiaC-2K1LM[/youtube]

History of Weed : Part II
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4NYBIIwYjU[/youtube]