Afghanistan: Taliban Announces Alleged Cannabis Cultivation Agreement

By Franca Quarneti Via El Planteo.

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan announced this week that it had reached an agreement with a company to grow and manufacture cannabis products in the country.

The Ministry of Interior reported on social media that the Australian company Cpharm would make an investment of more than $400 million to create a marijuana production facility.

However, the Australian-based company denied its involvement in the project.

In a press release, Cpharm stated, "We have no connection with cannabis or the Taliban. We have no idea where the Taliban media release has come from and would like to assure everyone that it should not be related to Cpharm Pty Ltd Australia."

Same Name, Different Company

Qari Saeed Khosty, the Taliban spokesman, resorted to Twitter TWTR to set the record straight. According to him, the deal had actually been finalized with a German company also called Cpharm.

As noted by Marijuana Moment, the deal, if carried out, would be unusual due to the regime's "harsh treatment of people who use illicit drugs."

However, Al Arabiya reported that the cannabis plant became an important source of income for Taliban insurgents during the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Apparently, the regime has taken note of the economic opportunities behind a professional and regulated marijuana market.

A rough translation of the official Taliban Twitter announcement:

"Cpharm wants to establish a cannabis processing plant in Afghanistan.

The Deputy Minister of Counter Narcotics of the Ministry of Interior met with a representative of the Cpharm Company, which wants to establish a cannabis processing plant in Afghanistan to be used only for cannabis available in the country.”

The Taliban Twitter account continued, saying that a Cpharm spokesman said the company wants to invest $5 million and that, “All stages of the contract with Cpharm have been completed and in a few days the project that will create employment for many citizens will be officially launched."
 

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona via Unsplash.