DEA Just Declared Rice An Illegal Drug

by Monica Davis

What is the limit of genetically modifying food plants? Is it possible to weaponize a food plant, creating new hybrids with other plant characteristics–say, the addictive qualities of cocaine, heroin, or the like?

Genetically modifying plants is now common, some say it should be criminal.  The possibility of using psychotropic drug plant genes with food crop genes is possible and dangerous.  Take for instance a West African plant: Ibogain, which has promise.

Ibogaine, a brown powder derived from the African Tabernathe iboga plant, has intrigued researchers since 1962, when Howard Lotsof, a student at New York University and an opiate addict, found that a single dose erased his drug cravings without causing any withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, the hallucinogen can increase the risk of cardiac arrest, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency lists it as a Schedule 1 substance, a classification for drugs like ecstasy and LSD with “no known medical value” and “high potential for abuse,” making it difficult to get federal funding to run clinical trials READMOREHERE

What if some genetic engineer decided to mix iboga genes with–tomatoes, or cocoa, or even create hens to lay hallucinogenic eggs? What are the implications—drug control, of some of the technologies we have developed?

Earlier this month, Origin Agritech Ltd. Chairman Han Gengchen was optimistic. By 2013, he predicted, his company would be the first to commercially produce genetically-modified (GM) corn in China, after years of government clearances and delays.

Han’s wait, however, may extend beyond 2013. Days after his announcement, the Chinese government signaled that it may be far from approving bio-engineered corn and rice, in its first-ever “Grains Law” draft legislation released Feb. 21. READMOREHERE

Bioengineered food products have laid the groundwork for manipulating food, weaponizing food, mixing genes from other species–plants, animal and beyond.  Now, the genes are out  of control in the environment, contaminating other crops–and perhaps animal species as well.

The Swedish National Food Administration recently announced that traces of unapproved genetically modified LL601 rice had been found in long-grain rice imported from the United States. The rice, about 600 metric tons of pre-packed long-grain rice intended for consumers, was shipped from the United States in 30 containers about seven weeks ago. It arrived in Gothenburg in western Sweden near the end of January.

Local authorities in Gothenburg tested all 30 containers for LL 601 rice. Initial test results showed presence of LL 601 rice in 6 out of the first sixteen containers tested.

Swedish authorities conducted these tests despite the fact that the rice had tested negative for LL 601 twice before the official testing in Sweden. It had been tested in the United States in order to get the required certificate for rice exports to the EU. The rice had also tested negative for LL 601 by ICA, a leading retailer, as well as food importer, in Sweden.

The tainted rice has been recalled and ICA has offered customers to return already purchased rice. ICA is currently investigating why this “blocked” rice reached the retail stores. READMOREHERE

The GMO industry is broadening its reach: from food crops to drug plants. With all of the money the drug creators–both legal and cartel have, what are the implications of weaponizing food  into drug delivery? Will we see the day when the DEA declares weaponized corn marijuana plants illegal?