High Voltage

U.S. Customs officials seize 2,500 tons of marijuana a year in Florida, presenting them with a disposal problem that is literally too hot to handle: marijuana burns at such high temperatures that conventional incinerators can be damaged. So, as a favor, the Florida Power and Light Co. has offered to turn the confiscated pot into kilowatts at its Port Everglades power plant.

The marijuana will be pulverized and blown into the plant's furnaces, which now burn either natural gas or oil. Company officials figure that each ton of pot equals 2.7 bbl. of oil and will produce 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity--only a tiny fraction of the plant's daily output, so pot power will not significantly reduce customers' bills. Officials also believe that smoke from the generator's 350-ft. stack will not turn on passersby. But just to be sure, they plan to conduct test burns. Until then, the Miami News last week advised readers, "hold your breath"--or, as the case may be, breathe deeply.

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