Opium in AFG: Solution, Maybe?

[The Bread Guy]

Someone has a plan to allow licensing of opium growers in AFG to grow for medicines:

http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/media_centre/news_releases/60_news

Farmers from all over Afghanistan sign Resolution addressing opium trafficking
Senlis Council releases new Study setting out control structure for an opium licensing system for production of morphine and codeine
Farmers agree to fight drug trafficking in exchange for licenses to grow opium for medical purposes
Farmers ask international community to buy Afghan brand medicines

KABUL – After a two day meeting in Kabul during a Nationwide Farmers’ Jirga, farmers from all over Afghanistan presented a Resolution to the Parliament today in Kabul stating that they are willing to help the Afghan government in its counter-narcotics strategy in exchange for the implementation of a licensing system for the production of opium-based medicines such as morphine and codeine.

The Resolution also notes that any future counter-narcotics plan can only work if farmers are no longer the victims of the forced eradication of their poppy crops.

“We came to Kabul to find solutions to the opium crisis in our country,” said Mr Mohamed Akbar Khak Raiz Wall, a farmer from Kandahar Province. “We want to be part of the solution and we want to support the government, but we  cannot do this if we are attacked and they destroy the crops we are using to feed our families.”

(...)

AFG gov't doesn't seem to be buying it, though....

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\28\story_28-5-2006_pg4_15

"The upper house of Afghan parliament wants a London-based group pushing for the legalisation of Afghanistan’s huge opium crop to leave the country, the counternarcotics ministry said Saturday.  A meeting of the upper house last week decided the Senlis Council “should stop their activities in Afghanistan and leave this country,” the ministry said in a statement. The international think-tank has been pushing for Afghanistan to legalise its opium crop, which supplies up to 90 percent of the heroin used in Europe, saying crop eradication will never work. The group says opium production should be licenced and the crop used to make legal painkillers for developing countries, which it says have a growing demand for these drugs.  The upper house said the activities of the Senlis Council were against a ruling by religious leaders against drugs, as well as the constitution, which also prohibits their production and use..."

 

[Gunner]

John Ralston Saul presented a solution to the opium problem in Afghanistan during a recent address.  Instead of spending millions of dollars eradicating opium, use the money to develop an "Afghanistan Opium Board" to purchase the opium from the farmers.  In essence, try to control the suppliers (source) vice trying to enorce laws prohibiting its use in Western Europe (end users).

 

[GAP]

This sounds like a more realistic plan "than just don't do it". Is there going to be difficulties and corruption. Of Course, deal with it on an individual basis.

 

[Kirkhill]

Is it possible, or even likely, that some of those in the upper house calling for the removal of the Senlis Council and disavowal of the Opium Board model are currently benefiting financially from the status quo? I recall having heard that at least some of these characters are the local barons that currently generate at least some portion of their income from the existing drug trade.

Is the lower house sufficiently separate from the barons' power structure that Karzai could rally with them against the upper house?

 

[GAP]

That sounds far more likely and any other reasoning I have heard.

 

[Armymedic]

Now I may be a bit naive, but doesn't Islam look unfavorably at the production of illegal drugs?

Yes, about the same as the Vatican looks poorly on divorce. Its about money, not religion. Money, and power as well, always trump religious beliefs.

 

[GAP]

You might want to have a chat with Turkey...they've supplied the US for 30 years under a similar program.

I don't think there is anything against the production of pharmaceutical product.

 

[xenobard]

Such a program would not only have to be highly regulated but also exceedingly lucrative for the individual farmer.