Mexico WAS the #2 producer of opium poppies and heroin in the world, behind Afghanistan. I believe Mexico is now #1. Their soil and environmental conditions are perfect for the opium poppy to grow.
In fact, the very pure Mexican heroin was creating a huge problem in the U.S. for a while. Junkies were used to the Afghan stuff, which by the time it went through multiple hands and finally arrived in the U.S. and cut for street use, was down to only about 10% to 15% pure. People were used to a certain purity, so they dosed accordingly.
Then Mexican heroin began flooding the U.S. cities, and frequently it was anywhere from 25% to 50% pure. Junkies were getting 2X to 3X higher doses than they were accustomed for the same amount of stuff. It was causing a lot of overdoses even before the Fentanyl crisis. People couldn't always judge correctly the strength of what they were taking.
Was this their backup plan after losing access to the poppy fields?
Mexico WAS the #2 producer of opium poppies and heroin in the world, behind Afghanistan. I believe Mexico is now #1. Their soil and environmental conditions are perfect for the opium poppy to grow.
In fact, the very pure Mexican heroin was creating a huge problem in the U.S. for a while. Junkies were used to the Afghan stuff, which by the time it went through multiple hands and finally arrived in the U.S. and cut for street use, was down to only about 10% to 15% pure. People were used to a certain purity, so they dosed accordingly.
Then Mexican heroin began flooding the U.S. cities, and frequently it was anywhere from 25% to 50% pure. Junkies were getting 2X to 3X higher doses than they were accustomed for the same amount of stuff. It was causing a lot of overdoses even before the Fentanyl crisis. People couldn't always judge correctly the strength of what they were taking.