Not only that, opium has been used as currency "They came to the Argu shops and exchanged their opium for wheat, for instance" said shopkeeper Haji Firouz. "Then the heroin makers came to the shops, bought the opium, gave us cash, and we would buy more goods for the shops".

The Karzai government has tried to get farmers to switch to other crops-- but not followed through with their promises of cash, equipment, fertilizer and seeds. The article cites a poppy farmer who now has a wheat crop riddled with diseases. "This year, he plans to grow poppies again".