GOOD: Opium Economics

[rkeppler3633]

Why do the street stuff? Go to Broward county and anyone can get a script for Oxycontin. The 'good stuff'.

[IDeafpool]

cool. why does the goverment has such problem with medicinal weed then? the only thing they have to do is tax weed and make money off this "drug"

[MrUberSpanky]

@IDeafpool doesnt work that way. hemp is a medicin and heals stuff like cancer. if they make it legal the health indusrty will collaps and millions will be lost wich is not comparable with the tax income, cause make it legal does not mean every body starts smoking and pay tax. the amount of patients against smokers is a huge differents its a bit gay. I know. healt care should not care about money, but healing people, but the fact is that they dont. this world is all about money!

[Avallido89]

lol 7-8 seconds... try like 1 1/2 seconds.

[tallhorseman40]

My question: Where does US pharma companies get the opium they use to make prescription drugs?

[badattitude77769]

@tallhorseman40 Mostly Afghanistan, some from Morrocco.

[savethewhales1000]

That's bullshit the Taliban does not deal in Opium, the US does! We have armed US soldiers GUARDING poppy fields in Afghanistan right now!

The Taliban were actually BURNING poppy fields in early 2001 and a few months later the Bush administration had an excuse to invade them.

[LordHillsidor]

I know what you mean, but you need 4 kilos of raw opium to get 1 kilo of pure heroin.

[ConstantC4]

0.3% opium addicts... that's a huge culture going around funding stuff less than 1% of it actual opium let me take an obvious guess.

I'm strongly against opiate use by itself and I'm not kidding.

but one might question where all the world government resources go , into some crime and law enforcement tango. a huge black economy that feeds on any attack against it.

[Oblentehands]

The American Army fly the opium out of Afghanistan. So how can anybody wonder that it flourishes as it does? Is it not hypocrisy - and lies - to claim, that anybody is there to PREVENT the opium industry? Start to think, Americans, and get some decent politicians in your country, before the entire world starts a massive boycot. We can not stay fooled all the time. In war, the truth is the first victim - but it will pop out some day, no matter what.

[TheNaramatu]

Listen the US tried to work something out with Sadam and he wouldn't have it, so we rolled on him like we do in most poor countries that have resources the US wishes to exploit. Now that the US is over there for oil since 07 we've helped farmers produce poppy and we have run the Taliban out of that market as best we can. Don't like it, don't buy dope and tell your friends. The US didn't setup shop, shop was open and running already.It is a complex situation with no single magic bullet answer tho

[partyflockske]

everywhere america invades a country, the opium production increases drasticly, I wonder why ?

[KakashiTheWorrier]

they should just fucking legalize everything and let everyoone who deicides to use them use them then they all die eventually and it reduces the cer plus population which is good for everyone else

[afferch]

Of course they ignored coalition involvement in the drug trade! look at the sources at the end of the vid. All gov't affiliated.

[ts1710]

WIKIPEDIA: Opium production in Afghanistan has been on the rise since the downfall of the Taliban in 2001. Based on UNODC data, there has been more opium poppy cultivation in each of the past four growing seasons (2004–2007) than in any one year during Taliban rule.

[ongwehonweh]

No doubt good propaganda video for the U.S./U.K. , OK to commit genocide. Like many posts before the drug runners are U.S. and U.K. They did it in Vietnam, Contra affair, still running coke from Columbia. These are all known facts. Guess one will have research facts of your other vids. Sorry no subscription here.

[ArchieMeadies]

A disappointingly misleading video that completely fails to acknowledge the role that the UK and US have historically played in actively promoting drug trafficking.

Google Britain's 19th century Opium Wars with China for example.

Or CIA activity in the narcotics trade during the Vietnam war.

This video is poor.

[MikeGiunta]

kilo>silo

lmao

[xPythox]

This video is indeed very misleading and I'm actually a bit disappointed after watching a few great GOOD Transparency videos. Opium production has gone through the roof ever since we invaded Afghanistan and the unnamed "traffickers" the video mentions is actually the U.S. government! The Taliban actually burn poppy fields and believe they're evil.

[Scared65]

@xPythox maybe thats what the taliban want you to think?

[hexzerg]

Osama Bin Laden and Al Quaeda are the biggest producers of opium. We need to end this drug war and stop this violence.

[dislexable]

What if we legalised weed?

You could grow it yourself - availability of a cheap affordable drug! Its known to help cancer patients!

It wouldnt be illegal. You wouldnt have to deal with drug dealers that push the harmful, addictive drugs!

Most people dont know that you can make Good paper from hemp. Save the trees and all!

People dont have time to think anymore in this world, and when your blown its hardly like you can do anything else!

Most people are over-stressed.

I have the solution!!

[Johnhalstead35]

@dislexable

No.

[theworldsaboutfunk]

Instead of pumping billions of dollars into their military, the US could use 1/10 of that money to support the farmers in Afghanistan to cut off a large portion of the Taliban's income.

But, eh, that isn't part of the plan. Rather use bombs than intelligent methods.

[PersonalPariah]

Only buy fair trade heroine. Farmers have kids to feed!

[fiendin281]

i can tell you, there are far more than 1.2 million opiate users in the USA. I estimate around 1 in 30 Americans were using it recreationally at one point of their life.

[NoMercyJustCruelty]

Then Legalize opium, govt dumbshits. 1.2 million addicts out of 300 million Americans? BFD. The world is full of shit and run by shitheads.

[ROAHHHH]

its illegal to put the price up so people need more money to buy it so more money has to be borrowed from the banks then repaid with interest, illegal drugs are the 2nd biggest business behind arms trade

[Johnhalstead35]

@NoMercyJustCruelty

Oh the irony. Yes, lets legalize opium so everyone has the opportunity to use and get addicted.

[CokeSupply]

@Johnhalstead35

The point of legalising drugs is to ensure that organised crime is cut off from its main source of income

[AcePilot101]

Oxycotin is much cheaper, you will be able to get it from your government doctor if Congress passes Obama's wonderful healthplan. We call it "hillbilly heroin" up here in socialist Canada.

[xiro0999]

Looks like i need to switch career fields.

[NosBlaster]

was thinking the same

[SLAKILLA]

In Canada, we have a safe injection site in BC where fiends can go and shoot up with clean needles with a nurse supervising incase they OD. I wouldn't be surprised if we were in Afghan to import opium. Opium's great, pharmaceutical companies use it to make Oxycontin, Methadone, and Codeine. The street pharmacists use it to make Heroin.

[phishivore]

We talk about all this and more! Join us at justin. tv and check out verbalmilitia at marc27's channel. We grab the truth by the balls and smack liars in the face!

[kazooie123456]

Look to be honest, lets not just blame the americans here, I mean alot of multi national armies patrol the hilmand provence and indeed all over afghanistan, now Im an Australian ok, so I am pprtty much 2 way in this and I to blame america for quite alot of problems, bt that would be the easy option, what the HARD option is that you have to realise that opium has always been around, i mean if its taliban offering protection to the farmers.. then aint it their fault.. not the americans.CASE CLOSED

[dreaken1993]

funny how the opium trade if Afghanistan grocely grew since American occupation of it

[Mesina2]

Sucks to be American.

[7hevo1d]

i'm missing the deadly facts and horrific consequences of opium addiction whenever information about this most addictive drug is distributed.

[Grak70]

Why are we not contracting the Afghans to produce opiate drug precursors? Morphine, codiene, hydromorphone...seems like a terrible waste.

[xRIKTERx]

considering the CIA has been bringing in heroin and cocaine ever since it was formed, i'd ask you to define "terrible waste"...it doesn't get here on accident...bin laden was a CIA agent...we're in afganistan...just like vietnam

[Grak70]

Considering I have no idea what you're talking about, your comment seems a terrible waste as well.

-Legitimate- business opportunities for opium farming should be opened up instead of firebombing these people's livlihood because of -our- national drug habit and policy. That was my point.

[xRIKTERx]

ignorance doesn't negate the truth...if you don't know what i'm talking about maybe you should look into it...it's pretty corrupt...and pretty much out in the open if you look for it...the reason it works in because, like you, the masses don't really care to look into things...it's cool tho, maybe one day you'll start looking into what our government and CIA has really been upto...PEACE

[Grak70]

I like how you take my neutral comment on a possible resolution of this situation which has NOTHING TO FUCKING DO with your conspiracy theories and turn it into an accusation. Piss off.

[xRIKTERx]

basically the CIA makes the US governemnt BIG CAKE that most likely goes into more black ops projects off of importing heroin from afganistan and cocaine from south america...it's even talked about in the movie American Gangster...I don't usually use movies or the bible as a source, cause both of them aren't necissarily true, but that part of it was true...and the FDA is just as crooked...and they're already making money off of opiates and opoids with pharmaceuticals and rehab programs

[xRIKTERx]

the CIA makes more money on the black market than they would if everything was subsidised and over the table...that's pretty much the answer to the question...there's just a buncha other shady dealings going on to...they aren't really conspiracy theories if they are documented

[Grak70]

Ok. So why isn't the CIA up in arms about burning down Afghan farmer's fields if they make so much money off it? Ooohh, right. They have to control the market price and maximize their profits. Conspiracy can justify anything with itself.

[xRIKTERx]

haha...that's actually a pretty good economic strategy...and money runs the world...get it by any means necissary...that's how governments work...especially ours...cheney was connected to Halliburton and Bush to the bin Laden family in buisness ventures...so everyone was pretty much making MAD CAKE off the "War on Terror"...plus all that patriot act bullshit and losing our basic freedoms...but anyone that thinks the government might be shady is a conpiracy nut?

[Grak70]

No further questions your honor.

[Johnhalstead35]

@Grak70

wow. ignorant conspiracy works on people like you too, apparently

[Grak70]

@Johnhalstead35 I have no idea what you are referring to.

[jrstoner1113]

the bushes are the ones making the money in the us from opium the taliban is blatently the scare tactic into making the us think were the ones fucking it up its globalization look it up

[guhsooo]

so in the end USA citizens are paying the terrorists!

[litterboxlove]

You stupid fuck, the percentage of opium that enters the U.S. from Afghanistan is next to nothing. The stuff here comes from Mexico and South America. Nice try making a shocking and/or interesting, unique statement. FAIL.

[Dhuman571]

Yea. Obviously Eastern Europe and Asia are. LOL.

[jamie5693]

the announcers voice is kinda annoying. but other than that, this is a really good video.

[bcubed72]

"With your first fix, you transform into a troubling statistic: there are 1.2 million opiate users in the USA..."

Considering that Rx pain pills are ALSO opiates, try "There are 200 million opiate users in the USA!"

[xRIKTERx]

TROOF...but the "right" people are making money off that...white people...it's all sorts of fucked up

[wingatei]

Why doesn't the us Government by the opium from the farmers?

[wingatei]

*US and buy--I spelled them wrong.

[greenbeanery]

interestingly, leaves out how the drug money flows back into Wall $treet. big omission. why else would we be guarding it with US troops, who unlike in Vietnam are subjected to random testing?

[bornwithaBA]

BTW, who in the hell NEEDS heroin?

[xRIKTERx]

um...heroin addicts?...kinda obvious

[ethiotoronto]

i like this video but only one thing is wrong with this fact. the taliban do not deal in drugs. i have meny reports and books on this and it is forbiddin for muslims to deal in drugs. if you look at the vietnam war, when the us was in power there the poppy fields flureshed and they blamed it on the vietnamese rebals, when it was really the cia trafficing in drugs, very interesting books look up cia ( iran contra) connection

[heywoodjablohme]

100% of the drug violence (and extreme profit margin) comes from the fact that opium is prohibited though. If it were not prohibited, it would be treated much like the deadliest drugs known to man: Alcohol and Tobacco.

The biggest benefit of the scare mongering about drug use? The nazis at the DEA, and the ONDCP.

[element68]

great point if you're talking about marijuana, but research the opium traders in the East India Company where literally millions of the Chinese became opium addicts, it was utterly devastating because it was legal

[OurBraveNewWorld]

You fail to mention the enormous growth of poppy since the US invasion of Afghanistan.

You also make it appear as if terrorists are the ones who are the sole beneficiary of the plant.

Simple logic will tell you much higher more sophisticated organizations are involved.

The UN drug reports confirm this. Why did you obviously neglect this fact?

google "afghanistan opium survey" and see for yourself.

I support your videos and your message, but you goofed this one.

[belathequeen]

These videos are always so great!

[Zwikster]

Opium production has actually been increasing in huge amounts ever since the Bush Administration went into Afghanistan to fight the war on terror. They are not preventing Opium production, they are helping it flourish.

This video is misleading.

[SpaceMoxie]

@Zwikster Opium growth was banned under the Taliban. Once they fell, farmers began to grow again. America (and the Coalition) have been trying to prevent the amount that has been grown through seizures, farmer buyout programs, and attempted eradication. If the Bush administration helped it flourish, it was purely accidental and not political as you're implying.

[Zwikster]

@SpaceMoxie Throughout history the CIA has been caught funneling drugs (opium/cocain) in and out of numerous countries around the globe. Just google "cia drug trafficking" or whichever and learn a little something. Its not democrats vs republicans, the same operations have been happening for decades. Listen to Ron Paul who recently said that "We need to take out the CIA"

[davedavedaveannoy1]

@Zwikster Thats where Agent Orange and Vaccum Bombs come in, that or we could convert the government to a Libertarian Republic (something similar to the original founding fathers idea), but neither one will happen because our current primeir is militarily incompetent, a complete pussy, and pushing for the further reduction of personal rights. Your comment was not well thought through.

[tpvalley]

@Zwikster

if we bought the opium for addicts and hospitals, we could offer protection and so taliban would have no income, we could even destroy the stuff, it would still be cheaper in the long run, yet although this idea has been discussed its never been enacted....why I wonder unless it kept that way as a tool for social manipulation?

[carboz7]

Opium market is really that big? wow. The United States now own Afghanistan. Why can't they destroy all poppy farms there?

[BrezhnevIsMyCoPilot]

Beyond a lack of necessary military resources in Afghanistan, comphrensive poppy eradication would be destroying the main source of income in a desperately poor country, which would only benefit the Taliban.

[Paulginz]

You're rationalising.

According to your logic, eradication efforts destroy the local economy and hence help guerrilla groups. That would mean that the whole war on drugs in south America is helping the traffic?

Also, it gives a motive why not to destroy the traffic, but doesn't explain what the US gains by letting opium cultivation grow at a ridiculous rate.

I think there's a simpler explanation:

PROFIT

Criminalising recreational drugs makes huge money for large criminal orgs.

[rooktopwn]

Hmm,i liked the whole thing where we had to read the facts,much easier.Either that,or get a better voice.

[amopian]

this channels videos always has a good tune in the background

[philonaut]

that was a good video.

[AlmostHydrogen]

ummm... just make a genetically modified poison that kills poppy plants.

no poppy, no problem

;)

[mikezephyr]

poppies/opium/heroin should not be produced at all.

it's telling that the drugs the civilized take and the ones the noncivilized take are polar opposities. the former are used either to grease the cogs in the machine (caffeine, speed etc.) or to dull or sense to escape from our common captivity (heroin, coke etc.) and fatally shrink our minds, harm our bodies while the later culture's drugs invariably expand consciousness and get us to be aware of who we really are instead of hiding it.

[solarsoox]

great vid one more time !!

I love goodmagazine ;)

[roidroid]

@1:30 "Taliban insurgancy against the United States"

hah, do not forget to mention that the United States are an invading force - which the Taliban is attempting to defend THEIR country against.

Before the United States invaded - the ruling Talliban used to keep opium production down.

Also - most Heroin users are merely occasional users. With only a minority becomming addicted. Statistically - Alcohol is a more addictive drug, with as many as 1 in 10 alcohol users experiencing Alcoholism.

[mickmorrell]

hey good.mag: you forgot to mention that the Taliban banned the opiom cultivation when they took power, only in the area controlled by the the "Northern Alliance", which was supported by the US of A, was it still grown. Then your govt, in all its wisdom, decided to bomb the ruins of Afghanistan. On the brink of starvation the farmers turned to the crop that renders the most profit, good on them. And the biggest irony is that the heroin ends up in YOUR country. :-))

[Bopkasen]

Well... Taliban may follow the islamic law but there are loophole in the islamic law where they can simply over taxed farmer for money.

Farmer give money to them, that is kind of a loophole contrary to the islamic belief.

[carboz7]

I agree

[LittleGigiK]

Great info, as usual :)

[awtystanislas]

we know where it comes from... we know the routes... and USa is in afghanistan..... and yet they cant stop traffic? LMFAO this is bullshit

[Efferts]

Remind me again how drugs being illegal helps Americans?

I don't buy that "morale" bullshit. Fuck Nixon!

[Paulginz]

Think about it.

If drugs were legal, organised crime would go bankrupt.

Do you really want tons of people who work for them to loose their jobs?

/s/

[Efferts]

If the criminal markets running drugs went belly up, we wouldn't have to be spoonfed this charade called the war on drugs.

Perhaps these workers will earn less working for gov't controlled markets than they would "off the books".

[Paulginz]

In internet jargon /s/ means "sarcasm" ;-).

[slipcurve]

It's known exactly where the heroin comes from, US occupies the land where it's grown, it's common knowledge which route it takes AND STILL we are not able to stop but a very small percentage of it? That is bullshit. War against drugs is mere PR. The money flows are obviously too useful to some.

[wildpeachatl737]

One thing is clear, pharmaceuticals (illegal or otherwise), is a very profitable venture on the supply side of the equation...

[ballsabouncing]

Amazing.

[gepetio]

um drugs are bad, mmmkay?

[DrPhr0]

I don't like his voice.

[Cainer666]

legalize everything -- problem solved.

[crock703]

with heroin? not exactly.

maybe a scaled path to decrim then maybe legalization. You need to have a rehab & education system/culture in place -- not the D.A.R.E. and cultish 'program' rehab we have now.

[Cainer666]

With every drug. Legalization brings the price down, eliminates violence associated with trafficking, reduces police budgets, makes health-care resources available to addicts, and provides a tax-base. Obviously you don't do it overnight without a plan.

Besides the pragmatic side of things, what right does anyone have to tell me whether or not I can put something into MY body? Prohibition is counter-productive AND ethically indefensible.

[haoqh]

The narrator sounds like he's been using opium.

[sammso]

509 000 farmers in afganistan

opiumfarmer earns $3933 - $2279 = $1654 more than wheat farmer.

$500 000 000 price of counter narcotic operations.

How much it would cost to pay $3933 to every farmer.

If we would pay all afganopium farmers $1654, so they would farm wheat. It would cost 509 000 * $1654 totally $ 841 886 000

What is the cost of Afgan war?

[oldhacks]

MEDICAL HEROIN!!!

[robakerson]

If we paid all Afghan opium farmers $1654, the wheat farmers would become opium farmers because then opium farmers would make $3308 more.

That's like saying, "If we paid Harlem drug traffickers $30,000, they would go to college and quit dealing drugs."

[sammso]

You are right, everybody should get that money and they are 509 000.

In Europe farmers get European Union support, so the idea is not so far fetched.

[roidroid]

If Heroin were legalised, it would dry up the black market, assure safe purities (no more accidental overdoses).

But would use go up?

If Heroin were legalised tomorrow, would you suddenly go out and try it? No, you wouldn't. I wouldn't.

[warrior1777]

This is  to true...the cultivation by afghany farmers is true..but the taliban had eradicated the opium crop from 70% of the worlds opium down to 2%, we invaded Afghany, took out the Taliban, and the next opium crop was the largest ever recorded by the United Nations since they kept records.

Camels do not fly, nor swim and the Production and Distribution has to be as large as "C&H Sugar"...

Why can we take out the Taliban in a week, but a green plant gives us so much trouble...

[theyutzinator]

i love theese goodmagazine videos, i wish more people would see them though.

[Markees88]

I love the fact that you guys are looking at how afgan farmers cut out the middle man. Don't you see the processors are valuable part of the supply chain!? Ahh market dynamics...

"Yeah that's pure maaaan.."

[lunei66]

All in all, drugs suck, legal or illegal.

[ramanglass544]

not sure if this is a thumbs up or thumbs down...?

[Paulginz]

Dunno... surgery without anaesthetic sounds like a bad idea.

[lunei66]

Oh ha ha.

You know exactly what I mean.

[Paulginz]

Actually, I thought you were some kind of amish econut.

But still, even if by "drug" you only mean addictive substances used recreatively for their mind-altering effects...

Does that mean you think marijuana, tobacco, beer, coffee and chocolate suck?

[lunei66]

Quite much, yes.

But does chocolate even qualify as a drug?

[Paulginz]

Sure chocolate does:

"Research shows that giving the opiate-blocking drug Naloxone to those "addicted" to chocolate lowers their desire for the sweet, he says.

Chocolate contains small quantities of caffeine and theobromine, a weak stimulant, along with phenylethylamine (PEA), a stimulant related to amphetamines found in sausage and some cheeses. PEA helps elevate serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain. "

For some definitions even sports, gaming and sex can be drugs.

Quantity matters!

[lunei66]

You sure know your drugs =P

I'm leaning more towards tobacco and that kind of drugs.

[Paulginz]

The argument I'm trying to make is that the substances themselves aren't bad. It all depends on HOW you use the drugs.

Morphine is esentially refined heroine. (pharma used to sell heroine as cough medicine lol). No sane person would ban it, and yet medical marijuana isn't PC.

There's this unjustified prejudice against certain substances based on circular reasoning (illegal-->evil-->should be illegal).

Being addicted to prescription meds (painkillers, antidepressants) is common in the US.

[Efferts]

IMO, anyone (of age) should have liberty to do unto themselves whatever they desire.

[Paulginz]

I agree (with the exception of the mentally deranged, and impulsive decisions).

However, this philosophical opinion doesn't really matter.

Even if it was morally better to have government prohibit people from harming themselves, actually implementing these schemes turns out to be counterproductive.

(I don't think being in prison helps anyone with their drug addictions, the war on drugs is expensive and makes drugs more dangerous because there can be no oversight etc)

[Efferts]

And unfortunately, the morale will never be discussed publically by those with power or resources.

[Yamonie2008]

Hmm...

They can see the label of an orange from space satellites, but they can't see and stop drug trafficking..

[Gunnar00]

there should be government subsidies for "legal crops" or something; i mean the difference per year in between profits from normal crops and opium is not that much (Just 2 thousand bucks). That is like... 1/1,000 of the cost of just one missile on a U.S. fighter.....makes ya think

[Doomlike]

Makes me want to deal drugs... :P

[jassi4010709]

i wonder if I could grow this in england in a shed.

[ProFunTampa]

try it

[roidroid]

people grow one or 2 ornamental Poppies in the front yards - you can make your own opium tea quite easily.

[Docthewrench]

I am in the wrong business

[Licmycat]

New American Phrase: It's all about the Drugs Stupid.

[Freeden007]

Sounds pretty profitable.

[weggles]

You'd think the farmers would learn to process it. They're gettin the way short end of the stick.

[dirtbag732]

Wow