New tsar wanted cannabis legalised

Les Iversen, a former Oxford University pharmacology professor, was made interim chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

He fills the hole left by Professor David Nutt, who was sacked by Home Secretary Alan Johnson after he criticised the decision to upgrade cannabis from class B to class C.

After his appointment was announced, it emerged Prof Iversen, a committee member for the past four years, has called for cannabis to be legalised, saying it is less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco.

In 2003, he said cannabis had been "incorrectly classified as a dangerous drug" and was "one of the safer recreational drugs".

He said at the time: "There have been no deaths to date caused by the use of cannabis.

"Cannabis should be legalised, not just decriminalised, because it is comparatively less dangerous than drugs like alcohol and tobacco." He was confronted with the statements in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live and said he had since changed his mind because of new evidence about the dangers posed by the drug.

He said he accepted that it is the Home Secretary's prerogative to make decisions about drug classification and accept or reject scientific advice.

He said: "I don't remember saying that, it's certainly not my position now. That was a view I had in 2003 and a great deal has happened since then.

"We have now to confront the more potent forms of cannabis. We have the new evidence that arose since 2003 linking cannabis to psychiatric illness.

"I think it's quite free for a scientist to change his mind when faced with new facts."

He added: "The way I look at this is that the Government should have respect for the experts on the advisory group and the advisers should have respect for the Government's prerogative to govern."

Liberal Democrat science spokesman Evan Harris said: "What the scientific community wants to know is whether Professor Iversen has been guaranteed academic freedom and the right to state what the evidence says on drugs policy even when this conflicts with Government policy.

"Without that assurance, the crisis in confidence from scientific advisers in the Government will continue."

Martin Barnes, chief executive of charity DrugScope, said: "Les is a very experienced, knowledgeable and highly regarded member of the council.

"The ACMD has an important role in robustly informing a range of policy responses to drug use and drug harms – it is crucial that its work continues."