For Immediate Release

Prize Announced for Genetically Modified “Marijuana Food”

A nationwide group of marijuana legalization advocates has announced a prize for the first genetically modified “marijuana food”. The prize, announced at http://MarijuanaPrize.com , will be awarded to the first person to develop any common food that produces the active ingredients in marijuana. Clifford Schaffer, spokesman for the group, says they believe that marijuana foods could be on the market in less than five years.

“Modern technology makes it easy. A bright college biology student could do it,” said Schaffer. “It shouldn’t cost more than about $20,000. It can be done, and it will be done soon. All it requires is an inspired biology student. We want to provide that inspiration.”

Any common food found in a typical grocery store is eligible under the terms of the prize, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts. “The best candidates are plants that produce essential oils,” he said. “We may also consider entries using other plants which could be consumable, such as ordinary lawn grass, or lactobacillus, which is used to produce yogurt.”

Schaffer says they expect to hear from the first candidates in less than a year, and that commercial products could be on sale in less than five years. The products would probably be legal under state laws the way the laws are currently written. “It never occurred to anyone that there might be cannabis cantaloupe,” he said. He predicts that marijuana foods will be a significant business.

“The potential is huge. Marijuana sales in the US are over $100 billion, about the same as beer,” said Schaffer. “These products could capture a good portion of that market, in addition to some new markets in the medical marijuana area. Whoever does it first could make millions.”

The group claims several benefits will flow from this research. As one example, medical marijuana patients won’t need to smoke their medicine. “Instead of a joint, they can have some Ganja Grapes or some Bong Beans. Their medicine will come in more varieties and flavors than ever before,” said Schaffer. In addition, he said, patients could carry their medicine with their lunch and medicate anywhere without disturbing people around them.

The biggest benefit for medical marijuana patients will be a greater variety of ways to grow their medicine. “It isn’t easy to grow good quality medicinal marijuana. Many people will find it easier to grow tomatoes,” said Schaffer. “It will also be much safer in terms of law enforcement. Medical marijuana patients need more options for a safe supply of medicine, and this new science will give it to them.”

Schaffer predicts this development will mean the end of marijuana prohibition. “Cops won’t be able to tell Kush corn from regular corn,” he said. “They won’t know the difference between peanuts and potnuts, or potatoes from pot-atoes. They will have to test every plant in every home garden. It will make it impossible to know why people are smiling when they eat their homegrown food or mow their lawn.”

Prosecutions will also be more difficult, says Schaffer. “If the cops can’t tell weed melon from watermelon, or stoner berries from strawberries without laboratory tests, how can they prove that an average home gardener knew what they were?”

As for drawbacks, the group says there are few. “The biggest danger comes from the food itself. Many common foods are much more toxic than marijuana,” Schaffer said. He points out that about 100 people die from overdoses of water every year, while the lethal dose of marijuana is so large that people would die of bowel obstruction first.

Schaffer says that one of the biggest benefits will be dietary. “Finally,” he said, “people will have a reason to eat broccoli.”