Annalee @ io9 pointed me towards a story we’ll likely hear again and again until authorities realize that we’re never going to encourage the next generation of chemists if we treat every kid with a home chem lab like a criminal… As Annalee said to me in email… “We should be championing this cool kid who created an awesome home lab” – Crimes Of The Future: Teen with Home Chemistry Lab Arrested for Meth, Bombs…
A Canadian college student majoring in chemistry built himself a home lab – and discovered that trying to do science in your own home quickly leads to accusations of drug-making and terrorism.
Lewis Casey, an 18-year-old in Saskatchewan, had built a small chemistry lab in his family’s garage near the university where he studies. Then two weeks ago, police arrived at his home with a search warrant and based on a quick survey of his lab determined that it was a meth lab. They pulled Casey out of the shower to interrogate him, and then arrested him.
A few days later, police admitted that Casey’s chemistry lab wasn’t a meth lab – but they kept him in jail, claiming that he had some of the materials necessary to produce explosives. Friends and neighbors wrote dozens of letters to the court, testifying that Casey was innocent and merely a student who is really enthusiastic about chemistry.
More:
Student held on explosives charge released – Teen mistakenly arrested for meth production allowed home for holidays.
Casey, when you can talk about this – please let us know. Maybe we can hook you up with something from our Chemistry guide.
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