Man chewing khat, Sanaa, Yemen, 2009 (wikimedia.org)
Dutch to Ban Khat
The Dutch government will ban khat, a plant favored by Somali and Yemeni immigrants for its mild stimulative properties.
Drug Trade Funding Terrorists
Afghan opium eradication poster. Apparently, no one is paying attention. (wikimedia.org)
Afghan Opium Production on the Rebound
There's a bumper crop of Afghan opium this year.
CNN Terrorism Analyst Peter Bergen on Afghan Opium Conundrum
Last week I promised to post comments by Peter Bergen (CNN terrorism analyst) responding to a question I asked of him last week about the Afghan opium conundrum.
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Chronicle Book Review: The Wars of Afghanistan
If you care at all about what's going on in Afghanistan, The Wars of Afghanistan is a must read.
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Chronicle Book Review: Hostage Nation
We review a book on Colombia and US drug policy seen through a lens focused on American contractors and Colombian politicians kidnapped by the FARC.
Peruvian presidential contenders Luis Castaneda (l) and Alejandro Toledo (r) in happier times. (image via Wikimedia)
Drugs Playing Role in Peru Presidential Contest
It's silly season in Peruvian presidential politics: First, a candidate gets attacked for saying he wants to decriminalize when Peru already has decriminalization, then it's a demand for candidate drug tests.
San Malverde, Mexico's patron saint of narco-traffickers
This Year's Top 10 International Drug Policy Stories
It's been a busy year on the global drug policy front. Here, we look at some of the biggest stories.
Bob Ainsworth breaks ranks with drug prohibition. (image courtesy Wikimedia)
Former British Drug Czar Says Legalize It All
The debate over British drug policy heats up again as a Labor stalwart who served as drug czar and defense minister calls for legalization.
Feature: NATO, US Deepen Anti-Drug Operations in Afghanistan in Bid to Throttle Taliban
The drug war in Afghanistan is about to heat up. NATO has agreed to target drug traffickers and heroin labs aligned with the Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgency, and the US is quietly planning to put American soldiers on the ground with poppy eradication teams and their Afghan army protectors. The question is: Will any of this work?
opium poppies (incised papaver specimens)
Afghan Opium Supply Halved, But Not for Long, UN Warns
Plant disease -- not eradication -- reduced the supply of Afghan opium this year, but rising prices mean more farmers will plant next year, the UN warns.