And beware the Fentanyl crowd offering you a loan. They're actually private equity wanting to hollow out your poppy, fire your staff, and add you as an installation in the Museum of Drugs.
Ditto on compliments to you showing the human side again. I wonder how many families synthetic drug manufacturers support. I'm guessing not as much as the earth drug sector.
Yeah, fentanyl supports far fewer and they more like chemistry nerds in China. We are going through a revolution with synthetic drugs. Let's see where it ends up but it's grim. (And yeah, I'll stay away from the fenty equity investment)
It’s good to get the perspective of these souls that inhabit the bottom of the pyramid. Thank you for providing their story. Hopefully they can find a way to sustain themselves. They’re really the part of the story that doesn’t get told.
Thanks and best there Daniel. Yeah, they were incredibly warm people. And their involvement in the business and general way of being was very different than the actual cartel gunmen. Best there amigo.
Super article. Interesting, informative, well-written. It's always a good thing to know what's going on with our neighbor to the south. One of the biggest takeaways is the transition to fentanyl and how it impacts the growers--putting them out of work and forcing them to emigrate. Talk about the ripple effect! Bravo Ioan!
Thanks much there Kenneth. I also just got the copy of your book - "A Cop's Son: One G Man's Fight Against Jihad, Global Fraud and the Cartels." I am looking forward to digging in and back with more on that. Best there.
The timing of this article is very appropriate considering the international news about Afghanistan, pharmaceutical companies, headlines over fentanyl deaths and who is really smuggling fentanyl.
It now seems the Taliban is back in the drug business. They absolutely need the money. Their so-called anti-drug campaign, after coming into power again after the US backed out, has resulted in complete Taliban control of the opium fields and plus the added bonus of no hidden distribution payments to the CIA. The opium farmers are even in worst economic condition then the Mexican opium farmers. They absolutely cannot grow anything else with the Taliban controlling all means of production and the profit from distributing opium. Since 80% of the opium production comes from Afghanistan, opium is the only real foreign exchange for Afghanistan. All foreign aid requests from Afghanistan fizzled out after the Taliban's return to power. They can wait through the international collapse of heroin prices but as usual they can be ready to control the market when there is a market reaction to the uncontrolled use of synthetic drugs like fentanyl and the huge side effects to these drugs compared to heroin. Secretly, it seems Myanmar and Afghanistan are allies in the drug trade and side dealings in meth. Farmers of plant based products used in illegal drugs are being replaced with the production of synthetic analogues. The highs of the earth are being replaced by synthetic production of highs that can turn instantly into an immediate hell far exceeding the hell of plant based drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies have been involved in the research and production of synthetic drugs since World War II. Companies were established around the world to produce the precursors for this production including China. Chinese companies made their own formulas for the precursors and are conducting their revenge against the West for the opium wars in China that left 90 million junkies in China by 1910. Precursors for fentanyl are now starting to be made in quantity in the United States. The profits are too large to ignore and our restrictions against China are accelerating the production. InSys Therapeutics companies executives who were convicted of racketeering and a private equity company in 2023 convicted of violating the controlled substances act, gave everyone a window into what will happen in the future.
The increasing headlines about the "catastrophic number of fentanyl deaths" and "the heavy toll America is now facing" are absurd when you compare it to the real crisis never mentioned, never discussed because you cannot blame China nor illegals coming over the border, and that is 178,307 lives died just in 2020-2021 from excessive alcohol use almost double that of fentanyl overdoses. Who are you going to blame now, Scotland for selling us the whisky or the Germans for the beer recipes? 86% of convictions for fentanyl trafficking in the US were American citizens and 96% of all fentanyl seizures since the start of 2023 were at legal ports of entry not the desert with illegals hauling the load. Propaganda is oozing out the pores of our government agencies, officials and politicians.
Afghanistan is fascinating case. It is blatant but still blows my mind how the Western powers sat on a "narco state" for all those years with that amount of heroin pouring out. I am still not sure if that is incidental or somehow part of the thinking. The Taliban stopping opium shows one effective, if brutal, way a war on drugs can really be fought. If they are moving back into it I guess they are so broke and it's the been the biggest income for so long. The European market that Afghanistan supplies is still heroin dominated - I hope it stays that way and doesn't become overwhelmed with synthetics like the United States and Canada...
The Taliban never did stop the opium trade during their first reign in power but when you analyze the stop in opium production after the US withdrawal you begin to realize that the Taliban were waiting to see if Western powers promise of economic assistance would actually occur. In the areas where the poppies were grown, there were reports of bloodshed against owners of the properties, owners who had previous ties to the old government. I think it was a consolidation of control and power over the growing of the opium poppy. At one point the Taliban realized that Western aid could be an alternative to drug dealing but the aid promise collapsed and I do think the promise of aid was a diversion and justification for the withdrawal. Unfortunately during the suspension of opium production, nitazene and other synthetics hit the illegal market in Europe and the UK. The EU Drug Report of 2023 showed the concerns with this development. I think we are seeing another war between globalism and technology and the old historical ways of drug dealing.
Great work, as usual. Shows the predictable lack of foresight by the cartels; opting for a bunch of imported chemicals for their products, instead of dirt, water, seeds and sunlight. Doesn't matter if the chemicals are cheaper, their supply (+ their price) ain't guaranteed; and no loyalty from rural farmers comes with them. The cartels' game now rests on a long, thin thread of ocean, beset with state-sponsored scissors and competitors' knives.
Thanks there Shaggy and great point. Yeah, the cartel bosses who oversaw the move to fentanyl saw a lot of quick money and perhaps under appreciated the devastation it would bring about. It's interesting how the destruction of the opium farmers' lifestyle seems such a shame to people - and sadly rings a bell of almost wholesome natural heroin compared to the evil chemicals now pumping into America. Good to hear from you and best friend.
I'm sad to hear that your flower business is experiencing hard times.
Thanks for the condolences. It's a shame I can't sell those pretty flowers any more - and I am not sure I want to move into the aspirin game. SSDG
And beware the Fentanyl crowd offering you a loan. They're actually private equity wanting to hollow out your poppy, fire your staff, and add you as an installation in the Museum of Drugs.
Ditto on compliments to you showing the human side again. I wonder how many families synthetic drug manufacturers support. I'm guessing not as much as the earth drug sector.
Yeah, fentanyl supports far fewer and they more like chemistry nerds in China. We are going through a revolution with synthetic drugs. Let's see where it ends up but it's grim. (And yeah, I'll stay away from the fenty equity investment)
It’s good to get the perspective of these souls that inhabit the bottom of the pyramid. Thank you for providing their story. Hopefully they can find a way to sustain themselves. They’re really the part of the story that doesn’t get told.
Thanks and best there Daniel. Yeah, they were incredibly warm people. And their involvement in the business and general way of being was very different than the actual cartel gunmen. Best there amigo.
Super article. Interesting, informative, well-written. It's always a good thing to know what's going on with our neighbor to the south. One of the biggest takeaways is the transition to fentanyl and how it impacts the growers--putting them out of work and forcing them to emigrate. Talk about the ripple effect! Bravo Ioan!
Thanks much there Kenneth. I also just got the copy of your book - "A Cop's Son: One G Man's Fight Against Jihad, Global Fraud and the Cartels." I am looking forward to digging in and back with more on that. Best there.
Typo: "The cartel shift from fentanyl to heroin came gradually and then suddenly." Should be heroin to fentanyl. Great article too!
Thanks there Poncho. Duly noted and corrected. Great to have your voice (and the edit!) and stay in touch.
The timing of this article is very appropriate considering the international news about Afghanistan, pharmaceutical companies, headlines over fentanyl deaths and who is really smuggling fentanyl.
It now seems the Taliban is back in the drug business. They absolutely need the money. Their so-called anti-drug campaign, after coming into power again after the US backed out, has resulted in complete Taliban control of the opium fields and plus the added bonus of no hidden distribution payments to the CIA. The opium farmers are even in worst economic condition then the Mexican opium farmers. They absolutely cannot grow anything else with the Taliban controlling all means of production and the profit from distributing opium. Since 80% of the opium production comes from Afghanistan, opium is the only real foreign exchange for Afghanistan. All foreign aid requests from Afghanistan fizzled out after the Taliban's return to power. They can wait through the international collapse of heroin prices but as usual they can be ready to control the market when there is a market reaction to the uncontrolled use of synthetic drugs like fentanyl and the huge side effects to these drugs compared to heroin. Secretly, it seems Myanmar and Afghanistan are allies in the drug trade and side dealings in meth. Farmers of plant based products used in illegal drugs are being replaced with the production of synthetic analogues. The highs of the earth are being replaced by synthetic production of highs that can turn instantly into an immediate hell far exceeding the hell of plant based drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies have been involved in the research and production of synthetic drugs since World War II. Companies were established around the world to produce the precursors for this production including China. Chinese companies made their own formulas for the precursors and are conducting their revenge against the West for the opium wars in China that left 90 million junkies in China by 1910. Precursors for fentanyl are now starting to be made in quantity in the United States. The profits are too large to ignore and our restrictions against China are accelerating the production. InSys Therapeutics companies executives who were convicted of racketeering and a private equity company in 2023 convicted of violating the controlled substances act, gave everyone a window into what will happen in the future.
The increasing headlines about the "catastrophic number of fentanyl deaths" and "the heavy toll America is now facing" are absurd when you compare it to the real crisis never mentioned, never discussed because you cannot blame China nor illegals coming over the border, and that is 178,307 lives died just in 2020-2021 from excessive alcohol use almost double that of fentanyl overdoses. Who are you going to blame now, Scotland for selling us the whisky or the Germans for the beer recipes? 86% of convictions for fentanyl trafficking in the US were American citizens and 96% of all fentanyl seizures since the start of 2023 were at legal ports of entry not the desert with illegals hauling the load. Propaganda is oozing out the pores of our government agencies, officials and politicians.
Afghanistan is fascinating case. It is blatant but still blows my mind how the Western powers sat on a "narco state" for all those years with that amount of heroin pouring out. I am still not sure if that is incidental or somehow part of the thinking. The Taliban stopping opium shows one effective, if brutal, way a war on drugs can really be fought. If they are moving back into it I guess they are so broke and it's the been the biggest income for so long. The European market that Afghanistan supplies is still heroin dominated - I hope it stays that way and doesn't become overwhelmed with synthetics like the United States and Canada...
The Taliban never did stop the opium trade during their first reign in power but when you analyze the stop in opium production after the US withdrawal you begin to realize that the Taliban were waiting to see if Western powers promise of economic assistance would actually occur. In the areas where the poppies were grown, there were reports of bloodshed against owners of the properties, owners who had previous ties to the old government. I think it was a consolidation of control and power over the growing of the opium poppy. At one point the Taliban realized that Western aid could be an alternative to drug dealing but the aid promise collapsed and I do think the promise of aid was a diversion and justification for the withdrawal. Unfortunately during the suspension of opium production, nitazene and other synthetics hit the illegal market in Europe and the UK. The EU Drug Report of 2023 showed the concerns with this development. I think we are seeing another war between globalism and technology and the old historical ways of drug dealing.
Thanks there. It was interesting how little enthusiasm there was in the West for the Taliban cracking down on opium.
Great work, as usual. Shows the predictable lack of foresight by the cartels; opting for a bunch of imported chemicals for their products, instead of dirt, water, seeds and sunlight. Doesn't matter if the chemicals are cheaper, their supply (+ their price) ain't guaranteed; and no loyalty from rural farmers comes with them. The cartels' game now rests on a long, thin thread of ocean, beset with state-sponsored scissors and competitors' knives.
Thanks there Shaggy and great point. Yeah, the cartel bosses who oversaw the move to fentanyl saw a lot of quick money and perhaps under appreciated the devastation it would bring about. It's interesting how the destruction of the opium farmers' lifestyle seems such a shame to people - and sadly rings a bell of almost wholesome natural heroin compared to the evil chemicals now pumping into America. Good to hear from you and best friend.
Makes me so sad.....
Indeed, there are multiple tragedies at play. Good to hear your voice here and all best there Money Making Mitch