Cannabis Grows Like Weeds in Afghan Province
The liberal hippies at the NY Times wrote a feature Sunday about how Afghanistan's war against narcotics has been hailed as a success in the northern province of Balkh to eradicate poppy seeds, but has neglected cannabis growing.
According to the NY Times, Balkh two years ago had about 27,000 acres of opium poppy seeds flourishing in the area. An anti-poppy campaign led by the government caused farmers to abandon the crop, the province was declared poppy-free and was promised millions in development.
However, according to the United Nations, farmers have just switched from opium to cannabis. According to an August report bu the UN, cannabis cultivation in Afghanistan has increased 40 percent from 123,500 acres last year to 173,000 acres this year. According to officials and residents, Balkh has an abundant crop of cannabis in the country. The reporter writes that the crop lines the highways and hashish, the chief byproduct of cannabis, is openly sold at roadside fruit stands and grocery stores.