Is it really so surprising that people on the conventional political right are interested in drug policy reform? Conservative Member of Parliament Crispin Blunt says its more about freedom with responsibility, or cognitive libertarianism. When he joined the Tory party in the UK, it had a torch of freedom as its logo. 'If you're unwise enough to exercise your choices in a way that damages others then you'll be held fully accountable for you actions', he says. So what happens in a man, or woman's, head is their own business, basically. Crispin, a former justice minister, founded the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group in 2018 after his high profile intervention in a debate in which he spoke out against a proposed ban on poppers, a mild drug popular in the LGBT community. Now, he has been focusing on campaigning for reform of the UK's psilocybin laws to more easily facilitate research. He has also called for the establishment of
safer drug consumption facilities in the UK, and earlier this year criticised the government after it covered up
an expert report in favour of decriminalisation.
PS listeners may have to toggle the volume a few times on this. Apologies. There were issues with signal, and I have a microphone now. This interview took place in early June.