Cannabis is the new drug of choice for Afghanistan's ..

[Frazz]

Where opium poppies used to colour the plains of northern Afghanistan, towering cannabis plants now sway in the wind, filling the air with their pungent odour.

Farmers in Balkh province were banned from cultivating opium last year and have switched to another cash crop, a rich source of income that is still tolerated by the authorities.

Balkh's burgeoning hashish industry does not pay farmers quite as much as the heroin factories used to for good-quality opium. But the rich black cannabis resin produced around the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif still pays about four times the price of cotton or wheat. It is highly prized by Afghan usersand is exported in large quantities to Pakistan and Europe.

 

Growing cannabis is nothing new for Afghan farmers, but the opium clampdown has transformed a minor cash crop into big business. The 2007 annual report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimated a 40 per cent rise in Afghanistan's cannabis production this year from 50,000 hectares (123,550 acres) last year to 70,000 hectares this year.

 

The switch from opium to cannabis is the latest embarrassment to Western attempts at eradication. It also illustrates the desperation of poor farmers.

 

Western officials are deeply concerned that the booming drugs trade is funding the insurgency against Nato troops and driving corruption that undermines the Government in Kabul.

 

The UN report has found that Afghanistan now produces 93 per cent of the world's opium, mostly in the southern provinces. It highlighted poppy eradication in Balkh as a rare bright spot. But the gloss was tarnished by Balkh's cannabis problem.

 

This week, as gusts of snow blew in from the north, farmers were busily harvesting their plants in the flat, wintery landscape around Mazar-i-Sharif near the border with Uzbekistan.

 

Roadside stores keep hashish hidden among the onions and biscuits, producing thin sticks or sheets for users who drive out from Mazar-i-Sharif. “It is the best quality in Afghanistan,” one shopkeeper said with a lazy smile. “I don't keep opium any more because it is too much trouble. But hashish is good business.”

 

Unlike opium, cannabis is smoked by some farmers without serious social consequences. “The only thing is there seem to be more layabouts now that we grow so much cannabis.” one said.

 

Muhammad Qol, 44, said that nearly three quarters of his income came from cannabis. He said: “We don't smoke it, and we know it is a sin and against Islam. But my family needs the money and the Government stopped us from growing opium, so what can we do? We are saving up for a Toyota Corolla. Everyone else has a car these days. Why shouldn't poor farmers like us have one?”

 

Some Western officials try to look on the bright side. One said: “At least they've gone from producing hard drugs to soft drugs. It's progress, sort of.”

 

Author: Nick Meo in Balkh province

Date: December 8, 2007

Source: The Times Online, a member of News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY

Copyright: © Copyright 2007 Times Newspapers Ltd.

 

Seriously worth slipping into Mazar-i-Sharif just to get the seeds from these hash plants as they are still the real deal ...

yea i know,.. but im allowed to dream

[jojothepotfiend]

"It's progress, sort of"

 

I don't know why but i think that quote is mint

[WantDaChronic]

good on them from switching to the herb, lets just hope they make it legal to protect the farmers

[67Special]

Western officials are deeply concerned that the booming drugs trade is funding the insurgency against Nato troops and driving corruption that undermines the Government in Kabul.

What the fuck do they expect? They invaded their country ffs

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Afghanistan is about as clear cut an example in the world of how the drug "scene" is not only controlled by governments, but desireable to them. The "War on Drugs" is a war on people is all, that is to say, you and I nd anyone without enough clout to make some gov official wealthy.

 

At the same time the "War on Drugs" was announced by Ronald Regan, USa was fostering the opium industry in Afghanistan into a full flegded economy that county came to depend upon for everything from defense budget to anything resembling health and school infrustructre.

 

Unable to be seen to directly arm the afghans against Russia, USA esorted truck loads of raw opium to the highlands into Pakistan, where it was swapped for weapons, and escorted again by USA tot he front line, where they waged a successful war with the "Red Mennace".

 

After years of outright denial, so many DEA and CIA agents have written books on the matter, and their first hand participation, that USA now takes the stand that "During the cold war, certain priorities had to be made, and drugs took a back seat to security"

The truth is drugs took no "back seat", with USA desperatly trying tpo imply they are guilty of "neglecting" to do anything to stop the opium/heroin trade,

In fact they were responsible for the drug trade, and while making flowery speaches for the world's press about declaring a war on drugs, subsequenlty alienting, disenfranchising, arresting, brutalisng and detaining their own young people into the millions now, they were hands on responsible for the heroin being produced and sent into the streets where this "war" took (and still does) place.

 

If the "world" wanted to eradicate opium, or pot for that matter (on large scale productions, or coke, it'd be a simple operation. Afghnistan is a painfully obvipous example, were th entire country is under occupation primarily bythe very country sworn to destroy tghe cursed drug, and still it's producing 80% or somthing of ther world's market?

A canadian oficer was filmed and displayed on a opiate web site I was looking at one day, ordering huis tanks and men to be careful not to drive over the poppies.

 

I'm not taking sides on if they should or shouldn't destrpoy the crops, just saying it's a classic example of how there's so much more to all this than what it seems.

So many forces at work keeping drugs illegal for end profit reasons, the sclae of it is daunting.

 

The USA continued to foster the opium industry , there-by fighting the most successul proxy war with Russia they ever had. When Russia shook hands with USA and said in effect "let's be freinds", among other things what they were saying was "call the dogs off". Immediately after Russia and USA signed a treaty, USA sent envoys to Afghanistan telling them the opium production has to stop. But by this stage, it's the backbone of their economy!

 

And people think religion is behind the hatred for USA in that region. Sure they use religion to get some jice flowing in their veins, but there's more reasons for this than what CNN tells us all each nighht. Terrorist training camps being allowed to develope in those regions has more to do with watching their children die of simple infections that anti-biotics could fix, old people dieing of starvation etc, that has lots of roots going back to war they fought on America's behalf. Turned their backs on them as soon as they got what they wanted.

 

Anyway, i hope they do well with their grass again, I vaiguely recall a great story told by a seed merhcant who travelled into MAzar Sherif during the height of the russian/afgahn fight. He smuggled in under the feet of passengers on the floor of a car through military check points to get close enough, whre he paid some locals to make some mad cross border (front line fighting) dash through the night to get him a few hundred genuine seeds before the strain was lost.

Damned if I can rememeber who it was, the story was published in high times many moons ago...I remember the hard time he had trying to explain he wanted seeds, not hash..they thought he was nuts . But $$ speak, and he got them to go.

 

Anyone interested in a great adventure story that deals with grass, seed security and dareing more like SAS than the average smoker, it's worth tracking down.

 

Someone here must recall who did that trip?

 

cheers

rob

[loylty gets u nothing]

damn

now thats some genes id like to try

wish afghanistan was like new zealand

at least in its local...

i too dream of the day Frazz

bil

[pipeman]

Western officials are deeply concerned that the booming drugs trade is funding the insurgency against Nato troops and driving corruption that undermines the Government in Kabul.

 

What the fuck do they expect? They invaded their country ffs

 

yeah exactly, not to mention the fact they could solve this "drugs funding terrorism" issue by simply legalising the shit.

 

retards.

[BentBuddha]

I remember in the early and mid ninetys, argueing with mates, after we'd pooled our precious $25 together (we were 15) as to whether we will be getting hash or buds. There was that much has around then. Hopefully, if afghan can crank it up again those days will return.

 

[torana2000]

Anyway, i hope they do well with their grass again, I vaiguely recall a great story told by a seed merhcant who travelled into MAzar Sherif during the height of the russian/afgahn fight. He smuggled in under the feet of passengers on the floor of a car through military check points to get close enough, whre he paid some locals to make some mad cross border (front line fighting) dash through the night to get him a few hundred genuine seeds before the strain was lost.

Damned if I can rememeber who it was, the story was published in high times many moons ago...I remember the hard time he had trying to explain he wanted seeds, not hash..they thought he was nuts . But $$ speak, and he got them to go.

 

Anyone interested in a great adventure story that deals with grass, seed security and dareing more like SAS than the average smoker, it's worth tracking down.

 

Someone here must recall who did that trip?

 

cheers

rob

It was the one and only neville. and it wasnt a few hundred it was a few hundred thousand seeds he got.

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Oh really? NiftyNev. ay?

 

Gee he's done some livin that bloke.

 

BentBuddah, I'm with you mate. The smoke scene took a bad step when hash dried up here....that it never replaced with any other spark - designed drug or otherwise. I was in hope a hash market might have got a go on when ice-a-lator bags started to become sold by so many people.

 

cheers

rob