The other dark side

[granfire]

Of dictatorship...
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...de-how-did-north-korea-become-a-meth-hub?lite

how did North Korea become a drug hub?
I am guessing because the country needs the money.....

Do they feed it to their poor, too? I mean, it keeps them from wanting to eat....

 

[oftheherd1]

Appalling to be sure.

Strange I haven't seen any mention of the Yakuza's pushing of meth for many years now also.

But I am sure you are right that it is for money.

 

[WaterGal]

I read somewhere recently that it's commonly used there by poor sick people who don't have access to real medicine. Supposedly weed is common there too, that it just grows all over like, well, a weed, and you can buy it in the store like cigarettes.

I imagine if I lived in North Korea, I'd want some kind of distraction from the horribleness of my life, too.

 

[oftheherd1]

I read somewhere recently that it's commonly used there by poor sick people who don't have access to real medicine. Supposedly weed is common there too, that it just grows all over like, well, a weed, and you can buy it in the store like cigarettes.

I imagine if I lived in North Korea, I'd want some kind of distraction from the horribleness of my life, too.

I know nothing about the nuts and bolts of how people live in North Korea. But hemp (marijuana) was commonly grown in South Korea when I was there the first time, and I guess still is. It is used to make rope and such. The leaves were by law controlled, and had to be accounted for to the authorities. By that I mean destroyed and the authorities had to be notified and monitor that. There was still plenty that got onto the illicit market. One such place was a remote area where there was a battery of US troops. I don't think the troops considered it a hardship tour. :lfao:

Barbiturates could be purchased in large amounts in pharmacies, without prescription, as well as codeine laced cough syrup. From time to time, there were newspaper reports of meth from Japan being caught. Other things, such as morphine were also known. None of that was legal, except barbs and codeine of course. The other things were generally pursued if they came to light, except marijuana. Most of that was considered a US soldier problem. Although I did hear of one Korean narcotics agent who was reputed to come to the GI area around payday, stopping GIs or entering their girlfriends houses to find marijuana, then shaking the GI down for money not to turn him in to US authorities. Nothing was ever formerly reported that I know of. To do so one would have to admit to marijuana possession. :lol2: