Fla. Eyes Marijuana-Killing Fungus
07/27/99
Two Florida (U.S.) state agencies have given approval
for tests of a bioherbicide fungus named "Fusarium
oxysporum," designed to destroy plants like marijuana.
The tests are to be conducted in a quarantine lab.
Environmentalists are concerned about tampering with
Nature, believing that the fungus could mutate and
attack food crops. Florida Department of Environmental
Protection Secretary David Struhs has warned that
introducing the fungus into the wild could cause disease
in crops, including tomatoes and corn. Others are worried
that the fungus could get out of control like the weed
kudzu, a vine planted for soil stabilization that has
grown like wild in the South. "We tend to manipulate the
environment sometimes with these biological introductions,"
said David Gluckman, lobbyist for the Florida Wildlife
Federation. "We're paying the price for that now."
Florida's anti-drug czar said Tuesday that nothing
would happen anytime soon. "I think we would be years
away from using this," said James McDonough, director
of the state Office of Drug Control. McDonough said he
hasn't made any recommendations to Gov. Jeb Bush about
the idea of dusting suspected areas with the pot-eating
fungus.
