In an unbridled free enterprise system, profits are king. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the drug trade.

The opium poppy grower is producing his Afghanistan or Kazak, or Turkmen crop and receiving a whopping average of $ 78.00 per acre per year for his production.

This is why the so called "French Connection" became so famous. Converting that acre into heroin requires chemestry. If you remember the Bayer people used to sell their product along with aspirin. Sears used to sell heroin products (Laudenum) as "mother's helper" it helped teathing infants and momma could use a little to allow her a day time nap along with the kiddies.

The point being that it takes a degree more of sophistication to make the goo from the poppy into heoin. So the heroin comes from a more metro area where facilities and technies can do their voodo and create the big profits.

Same thing happens with cocaine. The leaves are grown in Peru, made into cocaine in Columbia, transported to Mexico for smuggle into the US. Every step away from the farmer has a huge value added mark up.

The US illegal drug trade is $ 80. billion per year--without TV ads.

Publius