Well the braintrust at the ONDCP and in Congress are at it again. Besides overseeing the neverending "War on Drugs", now they are planning (again) to prepare a biological weapon against coca and other drug crops.
Pushed by Souder, Biden and Hatch, the ONDCP Reauthorization Bill may come to a vote this week. Included in the language is the following:
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this act, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall submit to the Congress a report that includes a plan to conduct, on an expedited basis, a scientific study of the use of mycoherbicide as a means of illicit drug crop elimination by an appropriate Government scientific research entity, include a complete and thorough scientific peer review. The study shall include an evaluation of the likely human health and environmental impacts of mycoherbicides derived from fungus naturally existing in the soil.
Just what the world needs... a little help spreading those botanical delicacies... Fusarium oxysporum and Pleospora papaveracea.
What the hell are they?? after the fold...
The House of Representatives recently passed an amendment to the ONDCP Reauthorization Act, as part of "Plan Colombia" to study dispersal of mycoherbicides, including Fusarium oxysporum to conrol the coca crops and Pleospora papaveracea to control poppies. The Senate is ready to take action, perhaps this week.
The Fusarium family of fungi include many very common species. Some can even be beneficial. Others are dangerous or deadly to many different plants and animals.
As early as 1989 even the 'inventor' of EN-4 and other strains to be used on coca and cannabis admitted in a letter to the US Drug Enforcement Agency that Fusarium poses 'a problem in immuno-compromised patients'.
Pleospora papaveracea attacks poppies. According to the DPA:
Upon initiation of the Uzbekistan investigation it was found that the Pleospora caused "respiratory problems" amongst the scientists and their assistants.54 While the Pleospora papaveracea mycotoxins have not been fully identified, "some of the phytotoxic chemicals produced by the fungus are similar to compounds known to have some harmful effects in man," according to UNODC’s top scientist, Dr. Howard Stead.55 Furthermore, a USDA document states that there are "[M]ajor concerns regarding human safety and biotoxins."56 Pleospora papaveracea, like Fusarium oxysporum, is clearly unsafe for use around humans.
As is the case for Fusarium oxysporum, Pleospora papaveracea is not selective. It was found capable of attacking various species of poppy, including the Oriental poppy, a favorite of gardeners throughout the world.57 If it were to be used in Afghanistan, it could theoretically spread to India, which is the source of much of the world’s legitimate medical opium supply. 58
The most virulent strain of Pleospora papaveracea is a genetically-modified version and contains a gene from Fusarium oxysporum.59 As a genetically modified organism (GMO), this is something many of our ‘anti-GMO’ NATO allies will not accept for deployment in Afghanistan.
Read the whole story from the Drug Policy Alliance: Don't Let Congress Poison the People. The link to the report at the end of the article is well worth the read.
Mycoherbicides have been studied in the past and repeatedly rejected. Nothing has changed the findings that these toxigenic agents are not safe for use.
But the ONDCP wants to use them anyway.
If you find it appalling that we are considering dispersal of dangerous agents on other countries against their will, take action on the Drug Policy Alliance website at Action Center.
You can also contact your Senators this week... again from the DPA:
Call your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative today or tomorrow.
If you don't know who they are, simply call the Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and give them your address. They'll connect you directly with their offices. You can also look them up online at the Senate website.
When you get a staffer on the phone, politely say something like:
"My name is [your name] and I live in [your city]. I'm calling to urge [the Senator or Representative] to oppose the ONDCP Reauthorization bill if it comes to the floor this week, especially its mycoherbicide provision. Please let me know how the Senator votes."
If they ask, the mycoherbicide section is Section 1111. The bill being brought to the floor is a combination of a House and Senate bill, so it doesn't have a bill number yet. It will be brought to the Senate floor under a unanimous consent agreement and to the House floor under suspension of the rules--both of which limit debate.
As always, you can see some history and read about any new developments at DrugNews, the world's largest searchable drug policy news clipping database. Just put fusarium or mycoherbicide into the Quick Search.