American military technology transformed remote, landlocked Afghanistan into the world’s first true narco-state.
How a Little Pink Flower Defeated the World’s Sole Superpower
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heroin
The Afghan Drug War after 2014
If costly drug war strategies in Afghanistan have been unsuccessful even with a strong U.S. military presence, they won’t stand a chance after the U.S. withdraws.
Our Unscientific Drug Control Regime
Today’s drug scales do not adequately take into account the scientific and empirical evidence for proper scheduling, relying on anachronistic, ideological standards for classification and draconian legal penalties. This not only impedes more humane and effective health policy initiatives, but also champions antiquated norms that have not stood the test of time.
On Drugs and Democracy
The UN Office of Drug Control (UNODC) has thoroughly documented the violence, crime, and corruption linked with the worldwide heroin and opium trade. The U.S. news media report every day on the mayhem and corruption of government officials caused by the drug wars in Mexico, Colombia, and other points south of our border. In Afghanistan, the Taliban tax the opium trade and protect poppy farmers from eradication, fueling the insurgency and our 11-year war.
However, these problems are all consequences of drug prohibition, not of the drugs themselves.