American Notes War on Drugs

The good news is that California police are seizing huge amounts of cocaine. The bad news is that they don't know what to do with the stuff since a state agency declared the white powder "toxic waste." None of the incinerators that police use are equipped with the filters and scrubbers required for disposing of such substances.

Cocaine's toxic classification actually dates back to 1989, but state health officials did not publicize it, and law-enforcement agencies continued to torch what they seized. But incinerator operators, alerted by word of mouth and recent news articles on the ruling, have decided to "just say no" to further shipments. Meanwhile, tons of confiscated cocaine are piling up across the state.

The U.S. Customs Service, which intercepts large quantities of cocaine crossing the Mexican border, has taken to sending the booty to neighboring states for incineration. But the cost of transporting and guarding the shipments is prohibitive for many local police departments. As a result, state officials are considering amending the state law so cocaine can once again be burned.