In 2017, a man showed up at the emergency room and confessed that he'd accidentally poisoned himself with homemade ricin. He was federally charged with possessing a biological agent, but his case was dismissed on almost unbelievable technicality. But he's not the only man who thinks he can create the perfect weapon from nothing but a handful of beans.

Sources:

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/ajc-watchdog-north-man-arrested-for-ricin-radicalized-online/wdxws9G7zMmaUDmm22njYK/

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/the-perfect-poison-ricin-used-in-3-recent-cases/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17023504/united-states-v-jordan/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6378803/united-states-v-siers-hill/

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6293428/united-states-v-gibbs/

Melissa Abbes, Marc Montana, Christophe Curti, Patrice Vanelle. Ricin poisoning: A review on contamination source, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and reporting of ricin poisoning. Toxicon, Volume 195, 2021

Tucker, Jonathan B. “Dilemmas of a Dual-Use Technology: Toxins in Medicine and Warfare.” Politics and the Life Sciences, vol. 13, no. 1, 1994, pp. 51–62

Bergen, Peter, et al. “Key Trends in Terrorism.” Terrorism in America 18 Years After 9/11, New America, 2019, pp. 45–50

Leo J. Schep, Wayne A. Temple, Grant A. Butt, Michael D. Beasley. Ricin as a weapon of mass terror — Separating fact from fiction. Environment International, Volume 35, Issue 8, 2009

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/ricin-terrorism-plot-sentencing.html

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/uscode

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/744

https://thebulletin.org/2013/06/barely-lethal/

https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6020875&page=1

https://slate.com/technology/2012/01/white-powder-hoaxes-a-trend-in-fake-terrorism.html

https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress/2002/txdv02091.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-49434687

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/22/woman-poison-plot-mother-breaking-bad-court

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/breaking-bad-inspired-georgetown-student-charged-ricin

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-34288380

USAMRIID’s MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF BIOLOGICAL CASUALTIES HANDBOOK, Ninth Edition
https://usamriid.health.mil/assets/docs/training/USAMRIIDs_Blue_Book_9th_edition_PDF_format.pdf

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.