Re: Opium War in Afganistan - Victory ;-)

On Nov 7, 12:33 pm, Old Tom <rascal...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/04/asia/cannabis.php- PICTURE of
a Happpy Afgani

Cannabis replacing opium poppies in Afghanistan

KHWAJA GHOLAK, Afghanistan: Amid the multiplying frustrations of the
fight against narcotics in Afghanistan, the northern province of Balkh
has been hailed as a rare and glowing success.

Two years ago the province, which abuts Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, was
covered with opium poppies - about 11,000 hectares of them, or 27,000
acres, nearly enough to blanket Manhattan twice. This year, after an
intense anti-poppy campaign led by the governor, Balkh's farmers
abandoned the crop. The province was declared poppy free, with 12
others, and the provincial government was promised a reward of
millions of dollars in development aid.

But largely ignored in the celebration was the fact that many farmers
in Balkh simply switched from opium poppies to another illegal crop:
cannabis, the herb from which marijuana and hashish are derived.

As the Afghan and Western governments focused on the problem of
soaring Afghan opium production, which hit record levels this year and
remains a booming industry, cannabis cultivation increased 40 percent
around the country, to about 70,000 hectares this year - from about
50,000 hectares last year, the United Nations said in an August
report.

And even though hashish is less valuable per weight than opium or
heroin, the report said, cannabis can potentially earn a farmer more
than opium poppies because it yields twice the quantity of drug per
acre and is cheaper and less labor-intensive to grow.

More---

Best hash in the known universe. Should be a great help to American
troops, and to keeping their comanding officers from getting it in the
back.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Opium War in Afganistan - Victory ;-)
    ... Cannabis replacing opium poppies in Afghanistan ... But largely ignored in the celebration was the fact that many farmers ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Singapore Govt allows DRUGS to be cultivated !!!
    ... Myanmar to stop growing opium poppies? ... when is the last time you heard the Singapore govt condemning the growth of ... in Afghanistan, opium poppies grow right to the city limits of the capital - ... Myanmar and Afghanistan to cease growing opium poppies ...
    (soc.culture.singapore)
  • Re: Ten Reasons To Legalise Drugs
    ... will make a cash crop ... eliminate the cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan and, since their overthrow, production of opium was back up to pre-existing levels, hence a dramatic decline in the price of its derivatives. ...
    (soc.culture.scottish)
  • Afghan hash at an all-time high
    ... Afghanistan has now become the largest producer of hashish, ... The 2009 Afghanistan Cannabis Survey revealed that there is large- ... year (lower than opium cultivation, which covers 125,000 hectares). ...
    (sci.military.naval)
  • Afghan hash at an all-time high
    ... Afghanistan has now become the largest producer of hashish, ... The 2009 Afghanistan Cannabis Survey revealed that there is large- ... year (lower than opium cultivation, which covers 125,000 hectares). ...
    (soc.culture.pakistan.politics)