Syrian Civil War Helps Lebanon's Cannabis Farmers

With a civil war raging in Syria, Lebanese security forces are busy guarding the country's borders. So busy, in fact, that for the past three years, there has not been enough troops for regular raids on illegal crop farmers. As a result, cannabis farms have flourished in the fertile Bekaa Valley in east Lebanon. It is in this area that the cannabis plant is squeezing out less valuable crops such as wheat, barley and vegetables.

The spiky-leafed plants are the source of cannabis resin, known as hashish. It is a substance that is much in demand by recreational drug makers worldwide.

Not only is it in demand, it is easy to grow and does not need much water. Ali Nasri Shamas says he makes much more money growing cannabis than growing any other crop. He is prepared to fight for his fields.

"We want to live as everyone else does. If they want trouble, that's no problem for us. It will be harvest season soon. If they want to come for us, they are welcome. If they want to legalize it, we'll thank them and tell them they are good people."

Cannabis is an illegal crop in Lebanon. The government has raided farms, destroyed fields and imposed penalties. Officials in Lebanon's Drug Enforcement Unit say that from the 1990 until the 2012, getting rid of cannabis was a yearly thing. This has not been the case since the beginning of Syria's war, more than three years ago. They simply do not have the resources.

Bekaa Valley farmers always have resisted government efforts to get rid of the marijuana plant. Now they openly talk about plans to expand its production. And it is not just the farmers who like this idea. Some economists say the government would benefit from making cannabis legal like tobacco, because it could collect taxes from cannabis growers. They say that exporting cannabis to the U.S. and Europe would add as much as $2 billion to the Lebanese economy.

Last year when fighting on Syria's border increased, Lebanese officials quietly stopped their policing of cannabis farms.

This report was written by Zlatica Hoke. I'm Christopher Cruise.

And I'm Anna Matteo. Join us again tomorrow for another As It Is! And look for us on Facebook, iTunes, Linkedin and Twitter.

What do you think about farmers growing cannabis, an illegal crop, to make money? Should the crop be legalized? Let us know in our comment section where you can share your opinions and discuss the issue with other listeners.

词汇解析

security

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.安全;保证;证券;债券;抵押;防护措施

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

I'll undertake for your security.

我将保证你的安全。

The value of a derivative is based on another security.

金融衍生工具的价值以另一种债券为基准。

illegal

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.非法的;不合法的

n.非法移民

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The jewellery firm is just a front for their illegal trade in diamonds.

该珠宝公司不过是进行非法的钻石交易的幌子。

It's illegal to read people's private letters without permission.

未经允许看别人的私人信件是不合法的。

用作名词 (n.)

The illegals couldn't be admitted by the authority.

非法移民是不被政府认可的。

fertile

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.肥沃的;富饶的;能繁殖的;多产的;(创造力)丰富的

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

There are fertile fields in the Nile Delta.

尼罗河三角洲土地肥沃。

source

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

n.来源;发源地;原始资料

v.从...获得

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

My wages are the principal source of my income.

薪金是我收入的主要来源。

They gathered up from various sources a great amount of firsthand data.

他们从各种来源搜集了大量的第一手资料。

用作动词 (v.)

We source all the meat sold in our stores from British farms.

我们商店里卖的肉均从英国农场购进。

substance

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.实质;物质;财产;内容;重要性

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Later he became a man of substance.

后来，他成为颇具资产的人。

This argument has some substance.

这项争论具有一定的重要性。

demand

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.要求;需求

v.要求;查问;需要

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The demand for coal begins to slacken off in the spring.

煤的需求在春天开始减少。

用作动词 (v.)

All these questions demand careful and detailed study.

这些都需要认真具体的研究。

yearly

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.每年的

adv.每年地;一年一次地

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Many Greek cities had to send yearly tribute to Athens.

许多希腊城市不得不每年向雅典进贡。

用作副词 (adv.)

I get a physical examination yearly.

我一年做一次身体检查。

simply

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adv.简单地;仅仅;简直

参考例句

用作副词 (adv.)

You may open the tin simply by pulling the puller.

你只要拉这个拉出器，就可以很容易地把罐头打开。

Is success simply a matter of working hard?

是否只要勤奋就能成功?