Afghanistan: Drug Trafficking and the 2014 Transition, Liana Rosen, Specialist in International Crime and Narcotics; Kenneth Katzman; Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. May 9, 2014,

“Experts widely assess that Afghanistan will remain the world’s primary source of opium poppy cultivation and opium and heroin production, as well as a major global source of cannabis resin, in the coming years. In 2012, Afghanistan cultivated more than 94% of the world’s opium poppy and produced approximately 95% of the world’s opium, according to U.S. estimates. For its globally significant role in drug production and trafficking, the President has  annually designated Afghanistan as a major illicit drug-producing or drug-transit country. In its  2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the U.S. Department of State described  counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan as “an uphill struggle and a long-term challenge.” The potential consequences of Afghanistan’s drug situation are wide ranging, with policy implications for economic and political development, as well as regional security priorities.  Reports have long described a symbiotic link between narcotics trafficking in Afghanistan; corrupt government officials at the central, provincial, and district levels; ongoing insecurity; and  lack of access to development opportunities. Elements of the insurgency, particularly the Taliban,  are variously engaged in drug trafficking and the protection of fields, routes, and laboratories to  finance operations. According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), such insurgency involvement is “extensive and expanding.” Although estimates vary significantly, the U.N. Security Council’s Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Team reported that the Taliban generates an estimated $100 million to $155 million annually in illicit income from the drug trade—a sum that  may represent more than a quarter of total Taliban funds.”