Time to talk about recreational use

The Lancet has an good editorial on illegal drug use. [free reg req] Here's the money quote.

The Lancet does not endorse illegal drug use, but we believe that the cloak of secrecy shrouding those who use illicit substances is the most destructive feature by far of the cultural condemnation of recreational drug use. Discussions framed by moralising or by adherence to social ideals have little utility in a society of which drug use is an inescapable part.

Without open debate, we cannot know the true extent of the problem. Without open debate, there can be no accurate quantification of the risk of harm. And without open debate, doctors remain starved of the knowledge necessary to cope with the acute and long-term effects of drug use.

Well said.

[hat tip to Doug McVay]