The Taliban reinforce cannabis prohibition in Afghanistan

According to a decree issued by the Taliban leader this month, the cultivation of cannabis is prohibited throughout the country—which was already the case. Most importantly, however, in the event of a violation, the crop will be destroyed and offenders will be punished in accordance with Sharia law.

«The cultivation of cannabis is completely banned throughout the country, and if anyone grows it, the crop will be destroyed. The courts have also been ordered to punish offenders in accordance with Sharia law,» states a communiqué from Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

What exactly are the punishments prescribed by Sharia law? The «crimes» of apostasy, rebellion, adultery, slander, and alcohol consumption are punishable by amputation of the hands and feet, flogging, and/or death. These punishments also apply to women whose bodies and hair are uncovered.

Afghanistan, a global producer of cannabis and opium

Cannabis is one of the crops the most commonly grown by farmers in the country, and Afghanistan became its leading supplier in 2010, according to the United Nations. The country has also long been one of the world's largest producers of opium, the basic ingredient in heroin, and of cannabis, which is cultivated on a large scale in half of its provinces.

According to a 2010 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), between 10,000 and 24,000 hectares of cannabis are grown each year in Afghanistan, with significant cultivation in 17 of the country's 34 provinces.

The illegal trade in opium and cannabis is said to have funded the Taliban before they came to power in 2021, following a 20-year insurgency against U.S.-led forces that had invaded the country in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The The Taliban claimed to have formed a partnership with a medical cannabis company in 2021.

The Taliban's press director, Qari Saeed Khosty, stated at the time that a contract had been signed between the Afghan government and a cannabis company called Cpharm to establish a $450 million cannabis production facility in Afghanistan, and that the facility would be «operational in the coming days.».