Recreational Drugs: Harmful, Healing Or Both?

Use of drugs that are considered harmful to human health is forbidden by UK law. Most ‘recreationally’ used drugs are illegal (but not alcohol!) and cause problems for those who use them. At the same time, many of these drugs have important curative properties. Indeed, medical use of cannabis has been recorded for over 2000 years.

Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in the therapeutic utility of recreationally used drugs, using the latest advances in neuroscience and experimental medicine. This exciting research has challenged the boundaries of what is considered acceptable in law and society. Professor Valerie Curran, professor of psychopharmacology at UCL, together with Dr Tom Freeman will outline some of the harmful and healing effects of two drugs, one old (cannabis) and one new (ketamine).

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