Prince Harry blasted for boasting about marijuana and other drugs

Prince Harry's livestreamed conversation with trauma expert and physician Dr Gabor Maté has attracted both praise and criticism.

The two discussed a range of topics including Harry's use of psychedelic drugs, the war in Afghanistan and the apparent multigenerational emotional issues within the royal family.

Maté and Harry talked candidly about the benefits as they framed it of using psychedelic drugs as well as the substances the Duke used to cope with trauma in his younger years, like marijuana.

King Charles III's younger son Harry said that cocaine "didn't do anything for [him], it was more a social thing", but that marijuana on the other hand was "different, that actually really did help me."

He also described taking the psychedelic drug Ayahuasca as "clearing of the windscreen", which removed the "filters" he saw life through. Harry's comments  attracted criticism. 

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, who founded the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation drugs education charity after her son died of an accidental MDMA overdose aged 16, described the comments as "concerning", according to Daily Mail.

"Unfortunately young people are getting the message from somewhere that drugs are going to help with their problems and anything that reinforces that is a concern for us. Using drugs as a coping strategy is more likely to lead to dependence than other motivations because that becomes how you are coping with something."

Max Pemberton - Journalist and doctor - called Harry's comments "hugely irresponsible", saying: "He speaks about using drugs that are illegal in this country, proclaiming the benefits he has enjoyed from cannabis and hallucinogenics such as ayahuasca. It’s hugely irresponsible." 

"Harry plainly has no understanding of the serious damage these substances can wreak on users - damage that I see on mental health hospital wards with upsetting frequency."

Kirstie Allsopp termed Harry's actions as "soaked in blood". She tweeted: "Someone needs to tell Prince Harry that County Lines doesn’t mean doing coke in the Home Counties. It means that stuff you took to ease your trauma, was soaked in the blood of those whose own trauma & lives are as far from your privileged bubble as it is possible to get."