Cannabis, cocaine and opium production in decline, UN report finds

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Global opium production fell by 38% in 2010 and cocaine cultivation continued to decline, according to the annual UN report on the world drug market.

The report said that while the global markets for cocaine, heroin and cannabis had declined or remained stable, the production and illicit use of prescription opioid drugs and new synthetics known as legal highs, which mimic the effects of traditional drugs, had increased sharply.

The UN estimates that 210 million people, about 5% of the world's population, used some kind of illicit drug last year at least once. The most popular drug remains cannabis, with 170 million users. An estimated 39 million "problem drug users" use heroin, cocaine and other class A substances.

Sandeep Chawla, director of policy of the UN office of drugs and crime, said the rise of new synthetic drugs reflected their lack of dependence on plant cultivation. Instead they could be produced from readily available industrial chemicals close to potential consumers without the need to set up global trafficking chains.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/23/opium-cocaine-drugs-production-decline

[L0oniX]

1. War on drugs propaganda to bolster funding to the DEA and LE

[jmowreader]

2. Give me a fucking break about the new synthetic drugs

Their rise reflects the rise in pre-employment urine testing. The reason Johnny's not getting fucked up on weed or opium anymore is Johnny could walk into work any morning and be told to pee in a cup. So Johnny finds out what his company tests for and does drugs that won't show up on those tests.

[Crowman1979]

3. Exactly! Now instead of injecting/smoke plant substances, they can inject/smoke carcinogens.

End this drug war, NOW!

[bemildred]

4. Horseshit. nt