=======================================
NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20037
=======================================
For release: January 11, 1999
=======================================
For additional information:
George Getz, Press Secretary
Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222
E-Mail: 76214.3676@Compuserve.com
=======================================
LIBERTARIANS BLAST CONGRESS FOR SPENDING
$23 MILLION TO DEVELOP ANTI-DRUG KILLER FUNGUS
WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States government is spending $23
million to develop a killer fungus to wipe out marijuana plants -- a
dangerous plan that could cause an environmental catastrophe, said the
Libertarian Party today.
"This project is the political equivalent of athlete's foot
fungus: It's nasty, it's dangerous, and it needs to be stopped before
it spreads," said LP National Director Steve Dasbach. "The last thing
we need is a bio-engineered killer fungus turned loose on the world."
Late last year, Congress passed legislation that authorized $23
million for research into soil-borne fungi called "mycoherbicides,"
which will attack and kill marijuana plants, poppy plants, and coca
plants.
When developed, the fungus could be released in such South
American countries as Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, said U.S. officials.
The legislation was guided through Congress by U.S.
Representatives Bill McCollum (R-FL) and Mike DeWine (R-OH), who said
the killer fungus was potentially a "silver bullet" in the War on
Drugs.
But Libertarians say the tax-subsidized fungus is a "biohazard"
that could have a disastrous impact on the ecosystems of the target
nations -- and, potentially, the whole world.
"In the government's irresponsible search for a quick-fix in
the War on Drugs, politicians could cause terrifying long-term
ecological problems," warned Dasbach. According to scientists, the
killer fungus could...
* Attack other plants, wiping out valuable cash crops.
"For example, a chemical alkaloid similar to the one that
produces cocaine is present in many legal plants -- including tobacco
and coffee beans," said Dasbach. "In an effort to wipe out drugs, this
killer fungus could wipe out the livelihood of millions of farmers."
* Cause many plants to develop stronger chemical defenses
against the fungus, which could then mutate and spread to other,
harmful plants.
"According to scientists, mutated plants could pass on these
resistant genes and create herbicide-resistant weeds, which could have
a ruinous effect on farm yields," he said. "With world hunger already a
problem, why risk making it worse?"
* Wipe out industrial hemp plants, which are legal in every
major industrialized country outside the United States.
"No fungus is smart enough to tell the difference between legal
hemp and illegal marijuana," noted Dasbach. "This fungus could be the
biological warfare equivalent of carpet bombing -- killing whatever is
in its path."
What should Americans do about this dangerous program? Tell
their Congressional representatives to apply a strong dose of political
fungicide to "cure" it, said Dasbach.
"This tax-funded fungus should be treated like any dangerous
mold or mildew -- exposed to sunlight and wiped clean. Congress should
just say no to biological warfare."
Dasbach also said Libertarians have a better way to reduce the
consumption of marijuana, with no environmental risks: Legalize it.
In the Netherlands, he noted, where marijuana is
decriminalized, drug use is half that of the United States. In fact, a
new study revealed that while 32.9% of Americans have tried marijuana,
only 15.6% of Dutch adults have done so.
"Treating adults like adults -- and letting them make decisions
about how to live their lives -- seems to have a stronger anti-drug
effect than any killer fungus," said Dasbach. "Wouldn't it be ironic if
liberty was a more effective anti-drug program than deadly
mycoherbicides?"
|