Florida Eyes Marijuana-Killing Fungus
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP), Florida may start testing a fungus that could kill
marijuana plants, a move that environmentalists say could ultimately backfire if the
fungus mutates and attacks crops like tomatoes and corn.
Two state agencies have given approval for the tests to be conducted in a
quarantine lab on the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, a bioherbicide designed to destroy plants
like marijuana, 55,000 plants of which were destroyed in the state last year.
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.
Environmentalists said they're concerned about fooling with Mother Nature.
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 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.''
