The DEA Would Rather Burn 3 Tons of Illicit Substances a Day Than Use it for Research

Do you live in Arizona? Are you a contractor that has the capability of incinerating up to a thousand pounds of federally illegal substances an hour, for eight hours every day? If you answered yes to these two questions, then the DEA might have the job for you. The Phoenix division of The Drug Enforcement Administration needs someone who can burn up a lot of cannabis products and other illegal substances. The DEA is seeking a contractor that has the ability to destroy illegal drugs without leaving detectable levels behind. They’re specifically looking for someone with an incinerator. The winner of the contract offered by the Phoenix division of the Drug Enforcement Administration would be expected to use an incinerator “with the capability of destroying marijuana to a point where there are no detectable levels…of byproduct from the destruction process.”

The tricky thing about this is that not very many places use incinerators. Paper mills incorporate incinerators as part of their pollution mitigation system. It would seem logical that if the DEA were looking to acquire a contract with someone who had access to an incinerator that they would reach out to one of the many paper mills in Arizona. Other places that utilize incinerators include crematories and pharmaceutical testing labs along with the munitions, automobile, and petrochemical industries. But do any of these really want to take on all the added extra security risk involved with handling 8,000 lbs. of illegal drugs daily?

Couldn’t it All Be Used for Research?

Instead of destroying these drugs, couldn’t they be utilized in testing by pharmaceutical companies, universities, and other private-sector research firms that currently work with the United States government? What about the option of donating the confiscated cannabis to a veteran program to be utilized in making RSO? When they constantly say more research is needed but don’t take the opportunity to conduct the research, it begins to raise questions. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Phoenix division could learn from Colorado’s disposal techniques for cannabis.

Dispensaries that dispose of cannabis in the state of Colorado have special lockboxes where the product is dropped into. This product is submerged in a bleach-like solution rendering it completely useless. It is then removed by a company equipped to dispose of the destroyed cannabis product properly according to environmental standards. Just a thought, incinerating a bunch of drugs into the atmosphere doesn’t seem like a smart decision. What about the bird’s man?

The DEA Says That This isn’t a Job Announcement 

Holding true to the typical tactic of confusion, the government clings to the DEA clarified that the announcement of them looking for a contractor that could handle this is not a job listing. The last time I checked, when you ask for contractors that can handle a certain job to present offers, it is kind of a job listing. But the folks at the Do Everything Awkward agency said the agency “is conducting market research, and encouraging all businesses, including small businesses to respond to this notice. “

Should a contract be awarded for their marketing research and not a job listing, the contract that’s not a job listing would begin on January 1st, 2021, and run through 2026. Five years of burning illegal drugs at the rate of 1,000 lb. for 8 hours a day would equal 1.825 million pounds or 900.12 tons of illegal substances to be disposed of yearly. If you’re interested in this contract, reach out to the DEA and let them know. 

Requirements of the Role

There will be an armed DEA agent present during all hours of disposal. Security camera footage detailing the entire process would be required. Contractors would also be responsible for destroying any packaging used during the transportation of these illegal substances, as well as be required to complete drug testing. After being awarded the contract, all activities are to be kept secret like most everything else done with our government. 

The amount of funding that goes into this seems as much of a waste as Ohio spending nearly a million dollars on a machine to determine the difference between weed or hemp. Leave it to our government to just burn everything they want to destroy every trace of. To all of those at the DEA, there are easier ways of destroying illegal substances these days that could not only rid you of this product but also attribute greatly to much-needed research.