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Push to legalize Afghanistan's opium trade

Group calls for end of poppy eradication strategy

Encouraging Afghan villagers to make morphine legally from poppies could help stem the illegal opium trade and free farmers from the clutches of the Taliban, suggests a report released today.

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Posted by Katharine Sanderson on June 25, 2007 05:50 PM |

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Another alternative to using the poppy crop to make morphine is to simply buy the opium at the going price and ship it to a secure site to be burned. The United States is willing to buy billions of dollars of surplus crops that our farmers produce so it would seem that doing the same to the poppy crop would be of benefit to both the growers and the anti-drug establishment and deal a blow to the Taliban. They (US gov.) could also skim enough opium to fix the morphine shortage.

Posted by: Keith Molloy | June 26, 2007 06:16 PM

Given the choice between building on (adapting) existing practice and eliminating it, which is likely to be more effective in both the short and long term? Simple common-sense says the former -legalise. Whose vested interests are being served by observing the (eradication) status quo?

Posted by: Peter Mathews | June 28, 2007 11:01 AM

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