cannabisnews.com: NORML Files FOIA With Five Fed. Agencies NORML Files FOIA With Five Fed. Agencies Posted by FoM on October 29, 1999 at 07:55:04 PT NORML's Weekly Update News Source: NORML Oct. 28, 1999, Washington, DC: The NORML Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with five U.S. Government agencies in an attempt to retrieve all information pertaining to the study and use of the cannabis killing fungus, Fusarium Oxysporum. FOIA requests were sent this week to The United States Department of Agriculture, Drug Enforcement Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. State Department and the U.S. Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey's Office. NORML Foundation requested a copy of "all records pertaining to the use of Fusarium Oxysporum as a pathogen to the Cannabis species of plant." The fungus was developed at Montana State University at Bozeman in conjunction with a private company. In August, Montana NORML filed a civil rights lawsuit against the university seeking to receive all documents about the fungus possessed by the researchers. Florida state drug czar Jim McDonough has also expressed interest in using the fungus despite claims the fungus could be harmful to the environment. Reform activists in Florida have filed similar FOIA requests with their state agencies. "We hope to obtain enough information to prove that the government is funding field experiments with the fungus," said Tom Dean, Esq., NORML Foundation Litigation Director. "These tests present a very real threat to the environment and to legal agricultural crops.""There is no such thing as a 'controlled' field test of a microscopic fungus," he continued. "Once the Genie is out of the bottle there is no going back." For more information, please contact: Tom Dean, Esq., NORML Foundation Litigation Director. NORML's News Bulletin:http://www.norml.org/news/index.shtmlMontana NORMLnorml montana.comhttp://www.montananorml.org Support for Marijuana Research at MSU Dries Up - 10/25/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3411.shtmlGroup Sues MSU Over Anti-Marijuana Fungus - 10/14/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3283.shtmlMT NORML Files Suit On Killer Fungus Research - 8/13/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2479.shtml Cannabis News NORML Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by observer on October 29, 1999 at 13:51:11 PT doomed to failure Cannabis Sativa is one of the most varied species plant species known. Far from a monoculture, there are thousands of different varieties and hybrids. That's the last thing you want when engineering a bioweapon. You might temporarily kill off a few varieties, but you'll never get anywhere near all varieties. Besides, much cannabis is grown indoors. For a bioweapon to be effective, you must introduce the infectious agent to the targeted populations. Small, widely separated, clandestine, indoor-grown crops do not lend themselves to this. Far more likely than putting even a noticable dent in the marijuana market, would be the likelihood of collateral damage to marijuana's closest relative, the hops plant. Fewer varieties of hops are grown; hops are grown in large, outdoor fields. It would be supremely ironic if, in a misguided attempt to eradicate marijuana, the only damage is done to beer-drinkers' beloved hops crops... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by BigAb on October 29, 1999 at 10:18:38 PT: Revelation ? And the seal was broken and a THIRD of all the grass and trees were distroyed.........Genie in a bottle is right ! God help us !! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: