Government, upset that marijuana is harmless, tries to make it lethal

Via an anonymous reader (I believe from New Zealand) comes this news about New Zealand spraying herbicide on marijuana plants. Although the herbicide turns the plant blue, some unscrupulous dealers have been apparently spraying them green and selling them.
From AP story

“I have heard stories of people suffering headaches, throat damage and coughing blood. There needs to be proper research but we can’t achieve this until police come clean on the chemicals it (the herbicide) uses,” he said.

The situation made a mockery of the police duty to protect the public, with people’s health being placed at risk by the spray program, he added.

New Zealand Herald:

Waikato police spokeswoman Kris McGehan said the police would not disclose any operational information such as when or how the plants were sprayed.

Ms McGehan said she had not heard of people getting sick from smoking poisoned drugs “but we are probably unlikely to for obvious reasons”.

“If you are going to buy or consume illegal drugs that is the risk you take.æ Obviously it is a criminal activity that we have no control over.”

This brings back memories of the late 60s/early 70s when the US government was involved in spraying marijuana in Mexico with paraquat.