A Santa Cruz graduate student has been sentenced to a drug diversion program for making a batch of morphine-laced beer. Chad Renzelman pleaded no contest to heroin possession, saying he used “a handful” of dried poppy pods to flavor a batch of home-made beer. Police found the batch of beer in his garage during the summer.
The UC Santa Cruz organic chemistry student says he extracted opium from the poppies, which he then converted to morphine. The 28-year-old Renzelman says the beer was for home consumption and he didn’t know his actions were illegal. Renzelman must participate in a drug diversion program and, if he stays out of trouble, the offense will be cleared from his record.
He didn’t know it was illegal….puh-lease.
Typical Santa Cruz. I went there my freshman year, then transferred to UCLA. At the time, I was 18-19. You had to be 21 to buy beer AND have a ride into town. On the other hand, the dealer came to your door.
I’m sure a certain company in St. Louis will be calling him soon…
Come on? It make you feel good, damages your brain and it is not taxed! It’s illegal.
He should have used weed. It is California after all.
I just ordered a 12-pack.
My my. Wouldn’t heroin junkies love to be able to replicate his experiment. That way they could cut out Mr. Dealer Man.
I don’t buy this student’s explanation. I’m sure, given his major, he is perfectly aware of the strong addictive properties of opiates.
But on the other hand, most heroin junkies start out thinking they are stronger than the drug and can control it. In fact, some very intelligent people who should know better get addicted because they think they are stronger and smarter than the primitive part of their body that craves it.
It’s an obvious ruse, but it may be necessary for his defense. If memory serves, the April 1997 issue of Harper’s Magazine reported that cultivation of Papaver somniferum, aka the opium poppy, is only illegal if you know that although it is legally sold in the United States for ornamental and food purposes, it can be used to make opium. If you don’t know, then you can grow them in your yard legally. It doesn’t even matter whether or not you abuse the plant; if you know what it is, you cannot grow it. So, he may have to claim complete ignorance in order to have any chance of winning an appeal. Welcome to the strange netherworld of drug laws.
Aha! I found a reprint of the article: http://www.wesjones.com/pollan1.htm
“He didn’t know it was illegal….puh-lease.”
Did you know that the poppies you can buy at the hardware store in spring are opium poppies? You didn’t? Puh-lease.
God made the flowers let the flowers grow.