DEA Houston asks people to stop calling after a job posting to burn confiscated marijuana goes viral

Emma Spears - thegrowthop.com Posted 5 years ago
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The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is asking citizens to stop calling them about a viral job posting searching for someone to burn confiscated cannabis.

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The posting, first reported by Quartz, requested the services of a Houston, Texas-based company to take possession of and incinerate “evidence”– a minimum of 1,000 lbs of illicit cannabis flower per hour. When numerous news outlets picked up the story, the agency says its phone lines were overflowing with patriotic citizen volunteers offering to do their part to burn the impounded pot.

DEA marijuana burn DEA Houston asks people to stop calling after a job posting to burn confiscated marijuana goes viral

“Several recent misleading articles alleging [DEA Houston] is looking for Houstonians to burn Marijuana have resulted in an influx of calls from citizens,” the Houston DEA tweeted. “This solicitation was targeted for a large scale licensed vendor, not private citizens.”

While the force is heartened by locals’ desire to lend a hand, the DEA is noting that the offer isn’t an open call to have a backyard bonfire.

“Although we appreciate local citizens’ willingness to offer their help, this is a complicated, large-scale government contract we’re required by law to bid every few years, and there are usually only a handful of companies with the necessary facilities and resources to help us dispose of this material,” the DEA told KHOU 11.

“While it makes for an interesting headline, the truth is far more prosaic—our agents working across the Houston Division make a huge number of great cases, and as a result, we seize a tremendous amount of illegal drugs. Arranging for the safe and effective destruction of these drugs is just part of the job.”

Now that the March 25 deadline to apply has passed, the agency is hoping to have fewer phone calls from well-meaning cannabis enthusiasts flooding the lines.

 

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