Dec 8, 2004

Genetically Modified Cocaine

Posted in Bio at 8:22 pm by David Bradley -- Click to comment

Developed nations continue to argue the toss about the safety of genetically modified crops and foods, but meanwhile in remotest Colombia, coca farmers are reported to have produced a GM coca plant.

There is much bluster from the authorities that the plants are nothing but a product of improved fertilisers or a better compost. But, that smacks of denial to me. The plants are almost three metres tall, are resistant to most common weedkillers and apparently produce four times (according to the Financial Times; eight times, says The Independent) as much cocaine as normal plants. If that’s just the result of a trip to the local garden centre for a sack of soil improver, then someone can send me a couple of bags for my tomato plants next spring!

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