Economic opportunity is essential in Afghanistan to build political stability. The largest current source of revenue for the Afghan farmer is the cultivation of poppies for heroin production. The illegal nature of poppy production requires that the farmers pay for the protection of various militias, war lords and power brokers to 'allow' them to grow poppies. The product is then sold to the same agents that are protecting them from government intervention. At the end of the day the farmer gets very little.

The solution is to replace poppy production with industrial hemp production and have the new government guarantee the price, market and processing of the raw hemp. The farmer would end up with more revenue from the legal openly grown hemp than he currently does from growing poppies. This eliminates a problem crop and the illegal cash that it generates and replaces it with a sustainable, high value crop that can be used to create energy, fiber, oils, medicines and many other essential products. All of that with the added benefit of freeing millions of farmers from dependence on armed protection.

The case for Hemp is this, the short growing period, hardiness and drought tolerance of hemp combined with cultural knowledge and experience of the Afghan farmers make the substitutional process 'Poppies for Hemp' a plausible and possible agricultural strategy with predictable social, economic and political results, prosperity and peace.

It is time to rethink the value of Hemp for the same reason we suspended the Marijuana Tax Act during World War II, we needed hemp then to defend freedom and we could use it again to establish economic sustainability for some of the most vulnerable and freedom loving people on the earth.

If you want to win the minds and hearts of an oppressed people try starting with an honest opportunity.

Home Grown Greens