Operation Wipeout

During Operation Wipeout, August-October l990 in the Hawaiian Islands, experimental eradication by DEA using a heliborne spot spray system proved to be very efficient. Glyphosate (commercial name Round Up) was used with a sticking agent (soap) and Red Dye Number 23 (used in lipstick).

Growers were forced off public land into more expensive indoor facilities; the price of marijuana went up from $2,500 to $6,000 a pound. This resulted in 25 arrests, seizure of $1,200,000 in assets and the destruction of 388,005 sinsemilla (high quality, high THC content) marijuana plants.