If poppies can grow all over the world, why is it that opium production is so heavily concentrated in Afghanistan?
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Can’t speak for most nations. But I know it’s pretty easy to spot with aerial/drone surveillance in developed nations. It’s not exactly subtle or space effective. It generates significant heat pockets if attempted indoors (makes rooftops or basement windows poop off significant heat in IR scans when it’s cold outside)
I could grow 5k of poppies with significant tell tale risk and work, or I can almost automate the production of a few thousand of shrooms in a 3x3x2 box in my closet with no known visable risks.
Just about value/output vs risk for me when I looked at it.
Most of life happens in opponent processing activities (someone wants to stop us). Bribing the opposition away makes it becomes part of cultural norms. Just an accepted cost of doing business in the industry in a region.
Now I know the Taliban banned opium a bit back. Haven’t looked at if it changes the numbers. They probably lack an enforcement mechanism and/or public will to follow through. That’s a culture battle at this point–could swing either way the next few years.
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