cannabisnews.com: War of The Poppies





War of The Poppies
Posted by FoM on October 14, 2001 at 18:23:00 PT
Editorial
Source: Daily Record
The global drug trade has been ripped apart by the War on Terror. And the shortage of heroin on Britain's streets is the first major effect Scots will witness as the seige on opium and heroin-producing Afghanistan takes hold. Experts believe there will be a major shortage of drugs supplied to the UK from Afghanistan as the US and its allies continue to strike back in the country against terrorism. The nation is surrounded on virtually all sides, but while one drugs business goes bust, foreign competitors are circling like vultures. 
Despite increased security in the west, senior police in Scotland believe that dealers in other parts of the world will try to cash in on a possible slowing up of heroin into Europe. A senior drugs enforcement detective said: "The Afghanistan borders are shut, which will make the drug barons shut down production. But it's like any other business. When a company crashes, others start to circle. "South Americans, including Colombians and Mexicans, as well as drug barons in South East Asia, will be looking at production and routes into Europe." His views are backed up by the UN. Dr Sandeep Chawla, chief of the UN's policy development and analysis branch, said: "If supplies in Afghanistan dry up, we would expect supplies to come from South East Asia primarily and Colombia." The knock-on effects of a reduced drugs flow are wide-reaching and Scots police are keeping a close eye on the situation. At ground level, there will be fewer drugs on the streets, making it difficult for addicts to get a fix. The street value of drugs will also soar. But while anti-drugs campaigners may think this is a move in the right direction, many believe it will actually have an adverse effect. More addicts will be suffering withdrawal symptoms, putting pressure on GPs to prescribe methadone. At the dealing level, drug barons supplying to middle men will be likely to cancel credit agreements. An underworld source said: "Distributing gear and waiting for the money to come in later will stop. It will be a straight cash exchange. That could have a real impact if the dealers don't have money to pay for their gear. "The barons further up the tree will be calling in debts to make sure they don't get in to financial strife." IN this situation, it's feared there could be more blood spilled on the streets in an upsurge in gangland drug violence. Indeed, the fall-out may already be evident in Scotland. Last week, two small-time crooks who became involved in the drugs trade, John Hall and David McIntosh, were found shot in a Lanarkshire scrapyard. Their murders were said to be the result of drug barons calling in debts to fend off financial troubles of their own. A spokesman for the National Criminal Intelligence Service, which monitors global drug trends, said that dealers are starting to sweat. He said: "Our UK intelligence shows that many of the main dealers are hedging their bets. "Fearing a shortage, they are selling off their rubbish, so there are already short-term effects which could have health implications for drug users." Asenior Scots law enforcement officer said that a shortage in heroin would also create the demand for more Class C substances, which addicts would use as an alternative to smack. He said: "Afghanistan supplies around 95 per cent of Europe's heroin, so if there is a shortage there is bound to be a knock-on effect. "You might see increased heroin production coming from Pakistan and India but, as they are sided with the West now, that's uncertain. Colombia, Mexico and other South American countries are likely to be the main exporters. "A turn towards other drugs is likely. When heroin has been hit in the past, users turned to Class C substances, such as temgesic and diazepam. "Dealers in other substances will see this as an opening - more cocaine could be brought in from South America and Ecstasy could be sourced from Holland." UN officials agree. Dr Chawla said: "If there is a supply squeeze on opium, you would expect consequences on the consumption side. You might expect users to turn to other drugs and opium substitutes and more and more users turning towards substitution treatment." Although worldwide security has been stepped up after the terrorist attacks, experts don't believe it will be a problem for dealers to get their gear through security checks and in to the West. Another senior Scottish law enforcement officer said: "The authorities are looking for anything that can be used as a weapon. They are not looking for powders. "Huge amounts of substances are stockpiled in Afghanistan just now. But a year down the line, that stockpile will be gone and prices will go up." Afghanistan's opium export racket had been on the brink of collapse before the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11 because the Taliban last year banned the cultivation of opium poppies - the source of heroin. AS a result, this year Afghanistan produced less than 10 per cent of the world's opium - they usually produce 70 per cent. Since September 11, the price of opium in Afghanistan has plummeted amid speculation that the ban on poppy cultivation would not be enforced. However, there is no clear evidence so far that farmers are returning to opium and the effect may have been caused by traders reducing their stockpiles amid the general panic in Afghanistan. UN official Dr Chawla believes any changes in drug distribution will become clearer by the start of next year. At a conference in London, organised by the DrugScope charity, he said that Afghanistan topped the world opium production table in the Nineties with between 3000 and 4000 tonnes a year. Burma was the second-biggest producing nation with 1000 tonnes a year. Laos and Colombia were further down the table, with 100 tonnes a year. Dr Chawla said: "Afghanistan has gone from producing 70 per cent of the world's opium to less than 10 per cent. Supply has come down 60 per cent." For the first time in 30 years, the price of raw opium in Burma is at the same level as Afghanistan when usually it is up to three times higher. Dr Chawla said the price of raw opium in Afghanistan had gone from $20 a kilo last year to more than $200 this year and $700 just before September 11 after which it plummeted dramatically. He added: "The rise in prices was a very clear indication that there was not much on the market. If there were stockpiles, they were limited. The plummeting reflects the closing of Afghanistan's borders, the movement of refugees and off-loading of any stockpiles there were and speculation that the ban would not be sustained this year." Although stockpiles of opium appear to be limited, Dr Chawla said that there were considerable stocks of heroin accumulated along trafficking routes. He said: "If this situation in Afghanistan is resolved and political instability and faction fighting continues, we should expect a resurgence in opium production. "If the ban the Taliban put in place last year can be sustained, we can look forward to at least half of the supply of heroin being taken off the world market." The National Criminal Intelligence Service spokesman said it was too simplistic to say that drugs from the East would dwindle, opening up new routes from the West. But there are already some short-term effects having an impact in the UK. HE said: "The border price of drugs is around $200 per kilo, which is $100 up on its normal price. But it is a $200 drop on what it was going for on the Afghan border markets." It is believed this is due to the Taliban and smaller producers manipulating their stocks to fix the price. The spokesman added: "There has been an 80 per cent drop in heroin prices along the borders of Afghanistan which indicates people are off-loading the drug at a tremendous rate. "But that might be because they intend flooding Europe or it could be that drugs are being stockpiled and secured until security is not so tight and it can be released in dribs and drabs. "There have been changes before in drug trends. Afghanistan has been the main supplier for the past 15 years, but before that, the Golden Triangle - Laos, Burma and Thailand - were the main suppliers of heroin. "In general, any drug takes between a year and 18 months to get to the UK, so if there is going to be another turnaround, it could take time to filter through." David Mansfield, the socio-economic development consultant who spent two years with Afghan poppy growers, said the culture of opium production created misery and poverty. Workers in the poppy fields get paid as little as $2 per day and many don't even have an understanding as to how deadly the drug can be. Mr Mansfield said: "One woman brought her son along and he started eating the crop and overdosed and died. She said: 'Opium is misery to me, it took the life of my son'." If the forecast shortages of the drug materialise, this woman's son will be just one of many whose blood is shed because of the demand for the deadly substance. Source: Daily Record and Sunday Mail (UK)Published: Monday, October 15, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.Contact: editors dailyrecord.co.ukWebsite: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/Related Articles:Taliban Takes Cut in Booming Drug Tradehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11082.shtmlTaliban May Dump Heroin Stockpiles On West http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11074.shtmlOpium Den - U.S. News & World Reporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11043.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Rambler on October 14, 2001 at 19:59:29 PT
NUGZ
When the SWAT team rams down your door,and a shotgun is held to the back of your skull,and you end up in prison,humming the lyrics to Cypress Hill songs will not be quite as heavy,as they seem to be now.WAKE UP!
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Comment #5 posted by qqqq on October 14, 2001 at 19:48:54 PT
YO......NUGZ
While I can appreciate your recommendations for stress management,,,ya gotta at least try and do something,,anything to stop the unstoppable......I'll bet you are about two decades or so into your exsistance on this globe,,,if everyone kicks back in the way you and "Cypress Hill" recommend,,then things will be way less pretty when your ass is as old as mine........Go ahead and enjoy a big Spleefer,,,but dont be thinkin' itz OK to just pretend to drift on through everything,and that everything will work out...It Wont!...If you aren't careful,,you will end up in jail for your "blunt",,and when they let you out,,they will make sure you dont smoke any more "blunts",,,that is,if you can even score any.......This aint no game!...BEWARE my friend.....Ya gotta do something,,however small,,,ya gotta do something......best wishes,,,and enjoy the wonderfully robust pleasure of getting stoned,,,but dont be hiding behind the blunt,,thinkin' that it's all gonna work out....Stand up for True Freedom,,,or end up in a police state,at the whims of the oppressive Evil Empire!........May JAH be with you....dddd
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Comment #4 posted by NUGZ on October 14, 2001 at 19:13:41 PT:
JUST GET BACKED!!!!
Man dont tripp out about something u can't stop..so if u can't beat em join em...AND SMOKE A BIG FAT BLUNT!!!AS Cypreess Hill once said- Roll It Up,Light It Up,Inhale,Exhale
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Comment #3 posted by NUGZ on October 14, 2001 at 19:11:08 PT:
HOLY SHIT IAM HIGH
man so sweet and cry about something u can't stop..so sit back relaxe and smoke a big fat blunt...
as cypress Hill said- roll it up,light it up,inhale exhale
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Comment #2 posted by Duzt on October 14, 2001 at 18:58:33 PT
This is a Doctor?
Dr Chawla said: "Afghanistan has gone from producing 70 per cent of the world's opium to less than 10 per cent. Supply has come down 60 per cent." Hmmmm, last time I checked, going from 70 percent of the worlds supply to 10 percent may mean they are producing 60% less of the world's supply but it doesn't mean that supply has come down 60%. This means supply has come down 700%.
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on October 14, 2001 at 18:50:00 PT
The nonsense at the end of the sense
An otherwise interesting and informative article was spoiled by the mandatory drug war loyalty clause at the end, which in this case is so contorted and unnatural that it is plain nonsense. (Oh another Central Committee flashback to increasing vigilance against harmful elements.)If the forecast shortages of the drug materialise, this woman's son will be just one of many whose blood is shed
because of the demand for the deadly substance. Given that the demand exists fairly independently of the manner in which the demand is satisfied, if the shortages stimulate violence, then I would say that logically we can ascribe the violence to the shortages, not to the demand.The demand for legal opiates is met without shortages that cause violence and the demand for legal opium is met without children dying in the poppy fields.Wouldn't it have been good to end this article with a plea to find a way to meet this ever-present demand in a way that did not foment violence or kill children?But if we want to dontinue to wage war against the demanders, then we have to make sure that we hold the demand, and not the manner in which the demand is met, responsible for the moral shortcomings in the manner in which the demand is met.War is Hell, after all.And the Devil doesn't bother with logic in Hell.
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