feasibility study on opium licensing in afghanistan

670 Pages·2005·6.7 MB·English

FEASIBILITY STUDY
ON OPIUM LICENSING IN
AFGHANISTAN

FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MORPHINE
AND OTHER ESSENTIAL MEDICINES

نﺎﺘﺴﻧﺎﻐﻓا رد کﺎﻳﺮﺗ ﯽهد زاﻮﺟ درﻮﻣ رد تﺎﻧﺎﮑﻣا ﻪﻌﻟﺎﻄﻣ
ﺮﮕﻳد یروﺮﺿ تﺎﺟ ﻪﻳودا و ﻦﻴﻓرﻮﻣ ﺪﻴﻟﻮﺗ یاﺮﺑ

Initial Findings – September 2005
Kabul, Afghanistan

The British Institute of International and Comparative Law
Hugo Warner • University of Calgary Peter Facchini - Jill Hagel
University of Ghent Brice De Ruyver - Laurens van Puyenbroeck
University of Kabul Abdul Aziz Ali Ahmad - Osman Babury
Cheragh Ali Cheragh - Mohammad Yasin Mohsini
University of Lisbon Vitalino Canas - Nuno Aureliano
• Shruti Patel • University of Toronto Benedikt Fischer
Todd Culbert - Juergen Rehm • Wageningen University
Jules Bos - Suzanne Pegge • Ali Wardak • The Senlis Council
Gabrielle Archer - Juan Arjona - Luke Bryant
Marc Das Gupta - Furkat Elmirzaev - Guillaume Fournier
Jane Francis - Thalia Ioannidou - Ernestien Jensema
Manna Kamio Badiella - Jorrit Kamminga - Fabrice Pothier
Emmanuel Reinert - David Spivack - Daniel Werb
FEASIBILITY STUDY
ON OPIUM LICENSING IN
AFGHANISTAN

FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MORPHINE
AND OTHER ESSENTIAL MEDICINES

Initial Findings – September 2005
Kabul, Afghanistan

Study Commissioned by The Senlis Council
Study Edited and coordinated by David Spivack

Editorial team: Juan Arjona, Jane Francis, Thalia Ioannidou,
Ernestien Jensema, Manna Kamio Badiella, Fabrice Pothier.
Published 2005 by MF Publishing Ltd
17 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9BU, UK

ISBN: 0-9550798-2-9

Printed and bound in Afghanistan by Jehoon; Printing Press

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CONTENTS

List of academic partners and contributions page 1

Definitions & Glossary – Use of terms 13

Executive Summary 21

Introduction 27

PART I – THE GLOBAL OPIUM-FOR-MEDICINE MARKET

1 Pharmacological aspects of the opium poppy 31

Professor Peter Facchini, University of Calgary, Canada
Jill Hagel, MSc, University of Calgary, Canada

Dr Professor Osman Babury, University of Kabul, Afghanistan

Introduction

1 Description of opioid-bearing poppy species
1.1 Key cultivars of Papaver somniferum L. (opium poppy), both
worldwide and with particular focus on opium in Afghanistan
1.2 Papaver bracteatum Lindl (scarlet poppy / thebaine poppy)

2 Role of alkaloids as “parents” (starting materials) for semi-synthetic opioids
2.1 Extraction methods
2.2 “High” and “low” alkaloid content
2.3 Main commercial products of opium poppy
2.4 Codeine and morphine syntheses
I
3 Medical uses of opium
3.1 Alkaloids with a medical use
3.2 Medicines based on alkaloids
3.3 Use of medicines based on alkaloids

4 State-of-the-art opium poppy biotechnology
4.1 Description of those poppy types with specialised alkaloid contents
which are presently in development
4.2 New candidate poppy types which are being developed, tested for
future registration and cultivation
4.3 Possibility of breeding different coloured poppies according to alkaloid
content
4.4 Latest developments in in vivo and in vitro biotechnology as well as
gene technology.

Conclusions

2 Opium based medicines: a mapping of global supply, demand
and needs 57

Professor Benedikt Fischer, University of Toronto, Canada
Todd Culbert, MA, University of Toronto, Canada

1 Opiate-based medications world needs assessment
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Cancer Pain
1.3 HIV/AIDS Pain
1.4 Post-operative (acute) pain symptoms
1.5 Moderate to severe chronic pain
1.6 World palliative availability
1.7 The situation in Central Asia and Eastern Europe

2 Opioid-based pharmaceuticals: supply and demand
2.1 Global supply of opiate raw materials
2.2 Role of the pharmaceutical industry
2.3 The WHO analgesic method and the global strategy against pain

II
3 Licensed opium cultivation and production in the main
producing countries 123

Ernestien Jensema, MA, The Senlis Council
Gabrielle Archer, The Senlis Council

Introduction

1 A brief history of the licensing system

2 The 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs

3 India
3.1 Purpose
3.2 Structure
3.3 Economic importance of poppy cultivation
3.4 Efficiency of production
3.5 Economic and social impact of restructuring opium poppy cultivation

4 Australia
4.1 Purpose
4.2 Structure
4.3 Economic importance for the country
4.4 Efficiency of production
4.5 Economic and social impact of restructuring opium poppy cultivation

5 Turkey
5.1 Purpose
5.2 Structure
5.3 Economic importance of cultivation in Turkey
5.4 Efficiency of production
5.5 Economic and social impact of restructuring opium poppy cultivation

6 France
6.1 Purpose
6.2 Structure
6.3 Economic importance for the country
6.4 Efficiency of production

Conclusion

III
PART II – THE CURRENT ILLEGAL OPIUM ECONOMY IN
AFGHANISTAN

1 An agronomic characterisation of poppy cultivation
in Afghanistan 191

Dr Ir Jules Bos, Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands

1 Agro-ecological characteristics
1.1 Climate
1.2 The role of agriculture in the Afghan economy
1.3 Irrigation
1.4 Agro-ecological zones

2 Poppy cultivation
2.1 Crop characteristics
2.2 Soil requirements
2.3 Cultivars
2.4 Seed
2.5 Cropping calendar
2.6 Fertilisation
2.7 Pests and diseases
2.8 Irrigation
2.9 Crop management and labour input
2.10 Opium harvesting methods
2.11 Yields

3 Current poppy production in Afghanistan
3.1 Regional distribution
3.2 Regional production

4 Alternative uses of poppy

5 Alternatives to poppy production

IV