Afghan opium isn't going anywhere. The Taliban themselves are the biggest money-maker off of the opium trade. This is just them trying to assume control and prevent anyone else from having a stake.
In July 2000 the Taliban enforced a ban on poppy farming via threats, forced eradication, and public punishment of transgressors. The result was a 99% reduction in the area of opium poppy farming in Taliban-controlled areas, roughly three quarters of the world's supply of heroin at the time.The ban was effective only briefly due to the deposition of the Taliban in 2001.
Afghan opium isn't going anywhere. The Taliban themselves are the biggest money-maker off of the opium trade. This is just them trying to assume control and prevent anyone else from having a stake.
It's no coincidence that the opioid crisis happened while we were in Afghanistan and then came to a head on the eve of the Afghan pullout.
Opium production tripled under US occupation. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/136E5/production/_106598597_afghan_opium_chart-nc.png
It's a hard pill to swallow, but our government is ran by drug dealers.
The US government's War on Drugs (TM), 2021 (colorized)
Without small farmers harvesting there is no opium trade.