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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1978)
‘Killer dope ’ may become reality says NOR ML; blames U.S. govt Poison Pot By KEVIN HACKETT Of the Emerald Decades ago in its publicity battles against marijuana consumption, the United States government labeled the herb “killer dope—the assassin of youth.” While that campaign failed to con vince a large segment of the popula tion that smoking pot was deadly, the government may now be guilty of making killer dope a reality by helping poison 10 percent of the marijuana that crosses the Mexican border into the United States. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has charged the U.S. government of endangering the health of its citizens by assisting Mexican authorities in spraying herbicides on marijuana and poppy fields. The spraying program, which was outlined in documents obtained from various federal agencies by NORML, through the Freedom of Information Act, has been underway since late 1975. NORML says the documents re veal the Drug Enforcement Ad ministration (DEA) has supplied Mexican authorities directly with equipment and manpower, and indi rectly with chemicals to spray mari juana and poppy fields with paraquat, a herbicide used mainly for cleaning seed beds before planting crops and weed control in fruit orchards, and the herbicide 2,4-D. A statement issued by the White House’s Office of Drug Abuse Policy in December lends credence to NORML's charge that some mari juana imported into this country from Mexico may be contaminated with the highly toxic herbicides. The statement said the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) analyzed samples of marijuana con fiscated by the DEA in its Southwest & Region. N IDA tested 45 samples av- ^ eraging 900 pounds each. They f| found six of the samples contami- ij nated with paraquat. 1 The report said there is concern that plants sprayed with paraquat are ** being harvested before the herbicide , can kill the plant. NIDA has studied f the effects the contaminated pot would have on individual if it were ingested and found that a person would have to consume one pound of marijuana ^ in a matter of few hours for it to be fatal. However, NIDA has only recently begun research into the effect the smoke of paraqut-treated marijuana might have. No report on the re search has been issued yet. Five weeks ago, NORML sent a letter to the DEA and the state de partment requesting that an En vironmental Impact Statement (EIS) concerning the spraying operation be filed. It also demanded that a moratorium be placed on all U.S. as sistance with, and involvement in, the spraying program until the EIS is filed. Peter Meyers, chief counsel for NORML, said he has had discus sions with DEA and state department officials during the past month but no progress has been made. “We’ve had meetings with them and they haven’t been too receptive,” Meyers said. “Since we re getting no action here, we re hoping to take them to court in about a week.’’ David Hoover, public information officer for the DEA, said the DEA has formed a special committee to study the effects of the herbicide spraying, but that “to the best of my knowledge our assistance to the Mexican gov Drawing by Jim Payne emment has not been discontinued. While the spraying program's primary purpose is to eradicate poppy fields to stem the supply of Mexican heroin flowing into the Uni ted States, marijuana fields are also being sprayed by the Mexicans with equipment provided by the DEA, he acknowledged. Meyer said the federal government argued that it doesn’t need to file an EIS on actions taken by a foreign government on its own soil. NORML counters that the spraying program effects the United States environment as well as Mexico’s. NORML estimates that 15 million Americans are regular users of mari juana. The NORML letter cited several cases in which U.S. government assisted pesticide spraying and con struction projects in foreign countries were halted by court rulings until an EIS was filed. A story published by the New York Daily News last November reported the federal government has ex tended its spraying assistance to other foreign countries known to be major producers of marijuana and other illicit substances. It was reported that gov ernments of Venzuela, Columbia, Burma and Jamaica have all been offered assistance, but only Ven ezuela accepted. Hoover would not confirm the Daily News’ allegations but did say that the DEA has been in contact with the Venezuelan government to dicuss methods for stopping marijuana pro duction in that country. He added that a crop substitution program has been initiated with Co lumbia to replace coca fields with other crops to help halt the supply of cocaine available. According to NIDA, paraquat treated marijuana appears to be “damp, yellowish and sickly looking.” Detecting affected marijuana once it hits the streets may be impossible because the marijuana has probably been manicured and in most in stances has been mixed with un treated plants. Physical Plant seeks ok on energy plan The University Physical Plant will save about $48,000 a year in energy costs if an energy-saving plan it has submitted to the State Board of Higher Education is ap proved. Jack Hunderup, vice-chancellor for facilities planning, says a $147,000 remodeling project would enable the plant to use gases that normally go up the smokestack to pre-heat water be fore it is fed into the boiler system. The boiler would have less work to do, resulting in the energy saving. The remodeling would also in volve additional insulation of duct work. The plan received initial ap proval Feb. 23 by the board’s Fi nance Committee. Later this month it will go on to the full board and if approved there, to the Emergency Board for approval of a funding scheme to pay for the alterations. ' Harold Babcock, director of the physical plant, is confident the board will approve the plan. Babcock says the smoke that leaves the stack at the plant is normally 450 degrees. The altera tions would take 200 degrees from the stack gases and use it to pre heat the water used in the boilers. He says this “heat recovery unit” operates much like a car radiator. The unit will save the physical plant 11 to 12 percent in fuel con sumption. This works out to about $48,000 a year. So the system could be paid for in three years. Hunderup says the short pay back period is one of the primary attractions of the scheme. Marquess Engineering of Springfield was contracted by the physical plant to recommend energy-saving steps the plant could undertake. Hunderup says other recommendations were made but the one proposed to the board is the most practical right now. Hunderup and Babcock say that if the plan is approved, the heat recovery system should be in operation by next summer. 70 Films From 20 Countries MARCH 17-APRIL6 Movie House Northwest Rim Study Center Cinema 21 See the Sunday March 12 Oregonian for complete festival program St. Patrick’s Run for the Shamrocks 10,000 Meter Competition Race (all classes) 5000 Meter Fun Run First Man and Woman 10,000 Finisher will receive round trip air fare to San Francisco Free T-Shirts to All Entrants $5.00 Entry, please pre-register at Oregon Athletic, Sheldon Plaza or before race. Irish music, dancing and refreshment at Autzen. For more Oregon Athletic info call: 124 W Broadway (on Mall) 343-1288 Sheldon Plaza Merchants Coburg Rd. ^ ★★★★★★★★★★*★★***★*■* *********** » * * * IRISH f SWEEPSTAKES! GRAND PRIZE ROUND TRIP AIR FARE FOR 2 TO DUBLIN, » IRELAND J Other prizes from Oregon Athletic Dept., ^ Adidas and Sheldon Plaza Merchants $ Warm ups, shoes, rain gear, etc. * j _r_w_,_o___ *-irkirk-kitirk-kickick1ck-kir1Htirk1citit+1rkitititirk'kirii^ Sun. March 12 1:00 PM at Autzen Stadium.
