56 | New Scientist | 29 February 2020
The back pages Q&A
MALCOLM X: EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL/ALAMYSo, what do you do?
I study the effects of recreational drugs on
humans. Our goal is to contribute to the limited
empirical database on their effects.How did you end up working in this field?
I went to prison as a teenager for selling MDMA
[ecstasy]. After my sentence, I decided that I would
redeem myself by studying the drug I sold.What are you working on right now?
A study in which people were given up to three
MDMA doses in 24 hours. We know that in the real
world people tend to take multiple doses on this
timescale. I’m happy to report that we observed no
cardiotoxicity or other worrying findings.As a child, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
I wanted to be a professional boxer.Were you good at science at school?
If we are talking about high school then definitely
not. I dropped out after three semesters. However,
I did well on the science portion of the GED [the
US high-school-level test for over 16s].Did you have to overcome any particular
challenges to get where you are today?
My felony has made it very hard to find jobs and
housing while pursuing higher education.How has your field of study changed in the
time you have been working in it?
In my view, a 2012 study led by Carl Hart changed
the game. It showed that studies finding cognitive
problems associated with methamphetamine use
are beset by statistical errors and bias. It seems
like scientists are more careful in how they talk
about drugs now.Is there a discovery or achievement you wish
you’d made yourself?
The “attractive alternative” studies, also led by
Hart. They brought crack cocaine users into a
lab and offered them $5 cash or a hit of pure,
pharmaceutical-grade crack worth more than $5.
Five dollars was enough to stop them taking the
drug half of the time. When the reward was raised
to $20, the participants barely took the offered
drug. They almost always chose the money.What scientific development do you hope
to see in your lifetime?
A shift away from the brain disease model
of addiction. There is virtually no scientific
evidence to support this view.If you could send a message back to yourself
as a kid, what would you say?
Go to school and do well. Otherwise you’ll have
to learn what you missed in your own time.What’s the best piece of advice anyone
ever gave you?
I like Malcolm X’s quote about not being in a hurry
to condemn people because they don’t do or think
as you do, because there was a time when you
didn’t know what you know today.Do you have an unexpected hobby, and if so,
please will you tell us about it?
Making random people smile.What’s the best thing you’ve read or seen
in the past 12 months?
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. A great book
about a man’s journey of self-discovery.How useful will your skills be after the
apocalypse?
We have never had a society that doesn’t
use drugs and probably never will. After the
apocalypse people will still use drugs. By
informing people about the potential benefits and
harms, my work can be used to keep people safe.OK one last thing: tell us something that will
blow our minds...
The vast majority of people who use drugs, even
heroin, do not meet the criteria for a substance
use disorder (addiction).Christopher Medina-Kirchner is a PhD student
at Columbia University, New York, and co-founder
of the student support programme FIRST (Formerly
Incarcerated Reintegration Science Training)
He tweets @chrismedinak“ I went to prison
as a teenager
for selling
MDMA. After
my sentence I
decided I would
redeem myself
by studying the
drug I sold”
Christopher Medina-Kirchner
researches the effects of recreational
drugs, but in a former life
his relationship to drugs
was very different