I know it's a long-shot as the hippie trail is long dead, and not many people except servicemen/women end up going there, but I'm looking for information on the current state of hashish and cannabis in Afghanistan. The most recent real news I've seen has been from 2010 or 2012 discussing the resurgence of hashish production. I'm not sure if the quality is crawling back to what it was in the 70s, but it certainly looks like the quantity is returning.

[HidingInTheHaze]

Well opium production is at an all time high, so I don't think it's too far off base to assume more land is being converted from cannabis to the much more in demand cash crop of opium.

Since the US has been active in Afghanistan many surveys on cannabis have been done, I remember seeing some government report which showed aerials of all of the fields, and where it is most found etc.. a few years ago.

Here's a little up to date info put out by the UN.

"10 September 2013 – While the total area of Afghan farmland used for cannabis cultivation fell by 17 percent in 2012, there was still an eight per cent rise in the overall production of cannabis compared to 2011, according to a report released today by the United Nations drug and crime agency and the country’s Ministry of Counter-Narcotics.

The report, Afghanistan: Survey of Commercial Cannabis Cultivation and Production 2012, released today in the Afghan capital, Kabul, noted that the main reason for the increase in production despite the decline in cultivation was better yields by the cannabis, locally known as ‘garda,’ compared to the previous year.

The survey, which covered 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces where commercial cannabis cultivation had been observed or reported in past surveys, estimated that most of the cannabis cultivation concentrated in the southern provinces of Afghanistan, accounting for some 54 per cent, and, to a lesser extent, in the east and north of the country.

In 2012, the national average of garda yield was 136 kilograms per hectare, an increase of 21 per cent compared to 2011, which experienced a yield of 112 kilograms per hectare. The 2012 yield levels came close to the high experienced in 2009 of 145 kilograms per hectare.
The joint report – prepared by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Ministry and the fourth since 2009 – stated that another reason for the reduction in cultivation was “a strictly enforced ban by provincial authorities,” which was imposed because “cannabis fields seemed to have been used by insurgent groups as hiding places.”
The report also said the reduction in overall cultivation was partly because of a “dramatic decline” in the southern province of Uruzgan which had only about 100 hectares of land under cannabis cultivation in 2012, down from about 1,000 hectares in 2011.
Growing the illicit crop remains lucrative despite a downward correction in prices observed since the peak in 2011. UNODC noted that in 2012, farmers could achieve a gross income of $6,400 per hectare from cannabis resin, exceeding the gross income from opium of $4,600 per hectare.
“This again indicates that a farmer decides on planting licit or illicit crops in a holistic way including as much family needs, food security, access to markets, access to non-farm income, as there is risk. Only an 'opium farmer', or a 'cannabis farmer' or even a 'wheat farmer' simply does not exist,” said UNODC’s Regional Representative, Jean-Luc Lemahieu.
He added that agriculture should be seen as one and measures against illicit crops should be integrated into agricultural policy.
"

Hiding, thanks for sharing! Last quote I saw was that farmers were getting $96USD/kilo for hash, which is such a mind-bogglingly low number.

[Gardening Angel]

Hey everyone,

Not sure if this helps the thread,
But for the last 12-18 months there has been a lot more high and low grade afghani hash in my area than ever before.

The high grade is a very good smoke,
I can't comment on the low but it looks good

Thanks
GA

Yeah, I've never been sure how to gauge the European market, especially A-dam. I just didn't trust most of the coffeeshops there to be correct on what they thought they were serving.

It would be safer to go to India or Morroco.

[hom]

Would love to get to Afghanistan for a taste of the top quality. I believe alot of good Afghani makes its way into Peshawar and northern Pakistan. I heard tales of people finding it in India along the Pakistan border but I never found it myself. ...and I tried to find it. I believe the Afghanis have a long tradition of hash making and smoking so it's still in production but like most of the finest hashish, the best never strays far from the origin. But the quest to find it would be a good laugh.

hi,when i first visited dam some 25 years ago,it was nearly just imported hash.
Likewise,back home,there was some decent hash to be found.
Now ,it seems the smack is getting through,so hopefully with all these wars and shit going on,some kind people might reopen the trade routes.
It would be nice to see some decent hash in the UK.Or,in my bong.

[MJtheIndicator]

A UN report from late 2013 is listing Morocco and Afghanistan as the two major producers, with Morocco being the more export minded of the two. What I found interesting is a loose claim that Afghanistan commercially grows more per square kilometer of farmland than Morocco. Satellite imagery might help confirm it, but to think that a reasonable 50% of their harvest is remaining in-country would point in the least to those nostalgic 1970's usage levels if not more of the general population relying on hashish.

Last month in Tajikistan a robust delivery of Afghani en route to Russia was blocked, 100 kg of hashish. The Saudi government seized 552 kilograms of hashish coming in from the Persian Gulf this month, it would seem the smuggle was co-opted by or brokered through at least one Iranian. Considering the affluence within Saudi Arabia this and March's Yemen border seizure add up to a market savvy export mechanism proving Afghanistan still has the will and means to place product. The March incident notes manufacturing went as far as grade labels in Persian. Regardless, a route via Iran is evident.

In truth pre-2012 production had declined due to eradication programs in Uruzgan province, eventhough farmland was taken or re-purposed, "production" was up 8% shortly thereafter.

In general regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan I believe a message has been sent as a sort of separation between the illicits, smugglers who engage in the gluttony of opium trade aside hashish, meaning sales/export in tandem are subject to abduction.

Meanwhile Morocco is pipelining through Lybia and Syria is giving Lebanon some traction in the hash market.

[LEF]

Morocco keeps its best, exports lower quality

Afghanistan exports it's best, keeps lower quality

I found the relation to be related to economic status of country
Afghanistan is much poorer

apparently a clerk at a local store in afghanistan will make X amount, and by selling hash, that person doubles her pay days making 2X in a day