According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], the Taliban had nearly wiped out opium cultivation and production prior to the US led invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. The UNODC estimates that cultivation rose in 2022, but actual production fell 10%. They attribute this to unfavorable weather conditions.
The Taliban banned the cultivation of ephedra and poppies in April 2021 as they were sweeping across Afghanistan seizing province and province. Now the Taliban says they are actively destroying crops, breaking up smuggling rings, and opening rehab centers for Afghan drug addicts.
Last month, Foreign Policy magazine wrote an article saying the Taliban has gone to war against opium again. However, Foreign Policy magazine actually attacks the Taliban for this and says it “hurts poor farmers.”
