Publication

This brief examines the feasibility of Afghanistan channeling its projected increases in cultivation and production of illicit opiates into a regulated industry that produces licit opiates for medicinal use which could be sold on the world market. The authors argue that trying to introduce licit production will run the risk that large-scale illicit production will continue in parallel. They also contend that it is unlikely that Afghanistan could compete in the global market which has lower-cost and more efficient growers of licit opiates.