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Middle East: After Lebanon War, Israeli Cannabis Prices Spike

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #460)
Consequences of Prohibition
Drug War Issues

During last summer's 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, some Israeli hash smokers called for a boycott of Lebanese hash. Now that hostilities have ceased, however, Israeli hash heads have a new problem: The stuff is just too damned expensive.

According to an article published in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth and picked up by various news agencies, supply disruptions during the war and increased border security since then -- not only on the Lebanese border, but also those with the Palestinian Territories and Egypt -- have caused the price of cannabis to spike eight-fold.

Smoking and selling cannabis are illegal but popular activities in Israel.

The report on increased prices came during a briefing on security and drug trafficking at an Israeli village near the Lebanese border. "While we are sitting here, dozens of kilos of drugs are making their way into Israel through the village," an unnamed Israeli security officer told the newspaper. The official also claimed that Hezbollah militants not only smuggle the drugs, but use the commerce to gather intelligence along the border.

The hash shortage and resulting high prices are only aggravated by the security crackdown in Gaza and along the Egyptian border. Conducted by the Israeli Defense Forces to deter arms smuggling into Gaza, the crackdown is putting a damper on the extra-legal cross-border cannabis trade, too.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

If Israel had a better balance between alcohol and marijuana, there would be a better chance for peace between Israel and Palestine. Along with the other ways
that alcohol promotes violence, it is reinforcing Israel's macho warmongering ways.

Fri, 11/03/2006 - 10:57am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

What about the weopons that the shabak gave to the fata people, The way you do it lacks realism dude!

Tue, 11/14/2006 - 7:11am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

If Israel were to legalize marijuana and then have government smoke shops, distributors, and regulations including taxes, that would take money out of Hezbollah hands which they obviously use in one way or another against Israel. Don't make it out to be harder than it is.

Fri, 11/17/2006 - 4:04pm Permalink
Aladdin (not verified)

Whats up guys.. If anyone knows an answer.. i'd really appreciate it..

I'm trying to find out how much the price is of MDMA in lebanon

like a capsule of 100 mgs.. 0.1 grams.. how much is that worth in beirut??

or an xtc pill?

 

I'm going down and i'm just wondering about the prices before i get there..

Thu, 01/27/2011 - 2:57am Permalink

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