"CREATING SUPER TOBACCO IS A GREIVOUS CRIME

It's truly a disturbing discovery even for those of us who deal in shocking
news every day.

A seemingly legitimate local DNA fLrm Is creating an illegal tobacco seed
that would make cigarettes more addictive than they already are.

It seems too far-out to be true, but it's happened.

Late last year, 18 Brazilian tobacco farmers acknowledged that they were
growing a special high-nicotine tobacco leaf and had been growing it for
more than five years.

They called the weed "crazy tobacco, or fumo louco." The tobacco was the
off-spring of a genetically altered plant grown in United States
laboratories for Brown & Williamson.

Now it turns out one of these disreputable plants is right in our midst.
DNA Plant Technology Corp. in Oakland has pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor
count of conspiracy, giving the Justice Department its first conviction in
the investigation of the tobacco industry.

Arthur Finnel, the company's vice president and CEO and his lawyers aren't
discussing the investigation, saying the government asked them to remain
Silent while the investigation continues, so we haven't heard how they
justify their actions.

But prosecutors are recommending to a federal district judge that a fine of
$100,000 be imposed as punishment. The judge could impose the maximum
penalty of either $200,000 or twice the amount of money DNAP gained while
under contract with the tobacco company.

Perhaps they could add to the largest sum the price of caring for the
millions of tobacco-addicted cancer victims and the heartache of their
loved ones as they watch them succumb to a painful death.

According to prosecutors, the DNAP firm and the tobacco company developed a
scheme to secretly improve high-nicotine tobacco in Brazil and other
foreign countries.

DNAP smuggled shipments of high-nicotine tobacco seeds to Brazil, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Chile, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Argentina and Canada in an effort to
find the best location to grow the tobacco, according to the investigators.

As far as we're concerned, let the punishment fit the crime, premeditating
the addiction of millions of people to tobacco. It's a sad way to make a
buck.