Topic: Unodc

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports a 37% increase in Afghan opium cultivation for 2020. The discussion explores the role of the U.S. military in guarding poppy fields and the potential impact of the Taliban takeover on the global heroin trade, despite the rise of synthetic fentanyl.

Opium production in Afghanistan has reportedly risen by 43% in the last year despite billions spent by the U.S. on eradication efforts. The hosts suggest that the military is effectively protecting poppy fields rather than destroying them, as the trade now accounts for 90% of the world's supply.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports a record increase in opium production in Afghanistan for 2014. The hosts discuss the expansion of poppy "hectarage" and the role of US military bases in protecting these fields. They note that the high supply has driven heroin prices significantly lower than methamphetamine.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached a record high in 2013. Cultivation increased by 36% over the previous year, with the farm-gate value reaching nearly $1 billion. The hosts note that the largest increases occurred in provinces where international military bases are located.

A 158-page document from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) outlines strategies for member states to harmonize laws regarding the "terrorist use of the internet." The document classifies propaganda, financing, and training as key terrorist activities, while suggesting that "legitimate advocacy" is a subjective assessment. The hosts warn that these guidelines will lead to global crackdowns on dissent and "xenophobic" speech online.

The United Nations reports a dramatic increase in Afghan opium production, which earned farmers $1.4 billion in 2011. The hosts discuss the possibility of Monsanto developing "terminator" poppy seeds that cannot reproduce, which would allow for corporate control of the global heroin market and ensure high prices through artificial scarcity.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report showing that new synthetic drugs are offsetting gains made in controlling cocaine and heroin. The report notes that heroin is cheapest in Belgium, at 23 euros per gram. Additionally, a discussion with Professor Kurt Stager touches on the "height of absurdity" in climate science, where carbon emission cuts today might not show effects for 100,000 years.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its 2010 Afghanistan Opium Survey, reporting a sharp drop in opium yields due to a plant infection. Adam Curry analyzes the report's data, noting that while yields are down, the actual area of cultivation remains unchanged at 123,000 hectares. The hosts mock the precision of the UN's census data regarding poppy-farming households.

Adam Curry highlights an unedited video from the UNODC website featuring Executive Director Yuri Fedotov. The footage includes a blooper where Fedotov asks to restart his speech from a specific paragraph after a teleprompter error. The hosts use this as evidence that high-ranking international officials are "puppets" who simply read scripted messages.

A Boeing 747 carrying at least 10 tons of cocaine crashed in West Africa after attempting to take off from a makeshift desert airstrip. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported on the incident, though some confusion exists regarding whether the cargo was cocaine or heroin sourced from Pakistan. The lack of mainstream media coverage for a massive aircraft crash involving tons of narcotics is highlighted as a significant oversight.