And that’s putting it mildly. Consider this Abbott and Costello–like “Who’s on first” exchange21 between Nutt and the home secretary: Home Secretary: You can’t compare harms from an illegal activity with a legal one. Nutt: Why not? Home Secretary: Because one’s illegal. Nutt: Why is it illegal? Home Secretary: Because it’s harmful. Nutt: Don’t we need to compare harms to determine if it should be illegal? Home Secretary: You can’t compare harms from an illegal activity with a legal one.
