Two men were just convicted of peddling drugs over the Internet. This is ironic, considering the first commerce on the ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet, was marijuana sales.

The penalty has changed over the years, from nothing to federal convictions. And the drugs this time were prescription.

This case shows us how the Internet has opened the door to an unregulated universe from which anyone with access to a computer can purchase just about anything,” U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan said. “It’s a dangerous way to bypass the safeguards that are in place to protect the public.”

Men convicted in international Internet drug ring Associated Press, 18 April 2006

Somehow I doubt that FUD will work to fix this problem.

-jsq

PS: Seen on Fergie’s Tech Blog