That damn marijuana! (troops fighting weed)

[Ishbario]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of 10-feet (three metre) high marijuana plants.

General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defence staff, said on Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.

"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices ... and as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa.

"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.

Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."

[Haha420]

Originally Posted by Ishbario

Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

[nobd]

Originally Posted by HAHA420

I wouldent of belived it if it werent for the pics.

[SlimDog53185]

Thats pretty funny. I'm sure they knew burning the plants was gonna get one high if they were budding. I'm suprized there wasn't a group of people standing around.

[qWERTY]

lol, I just read this a couple minutes ago.

[One Three]

Only the canadian army would have a task force dedicated to burning marijuana.

[Bunny]

My boyfriend read that same article to me last night..

I thought it was hilarious.