Well known for being one of the poorest and most dangerous countries in the world, Afghanistan has suffered many tragic events that have led to its current state of turmoil. For decades it has been the battlefield of countless wars that have led to a corrupt and disorderly country. This has led Afghanistan to depend on opium cultivation and heroin distribution as a source of economic “stimulus”. Because “opium and drug production and trafficking represent “more than one third” of national income, Afghanistan has become dependent on drug trafficking to create jobs and finance the economy (Maguet and Majeet, 2010, p . 119). leads to the question: what led Afghanistan to become one of the world's largest opium suppliers and how can they continue to be so with billions of dollars dedicated to security against opium cultivation, lack of governance and farmers? Economic motivations and incentives keep Afghanistan at the top of the opium market. Opium Production Boom Since the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, Afghanistan has gone through a decade of conflict with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics leaving it in a state of recession the war has essentially halted their economic growth and the their development, leading to a crippled government and workforce that has continued to this day. With the loss and displacement of much of their institutions, homes and citizens, the country was left with virtually nothing. As a result, most of the population was left jobless and homeless. This is where the production of opium and heroin comes in, seen as an opportunity for the common person to earn a living. Although poppy cultivation has been a tradition... middle of paper......a century, Afghanistan has suffered one conflict after another, leading it to be one of the poorest countries in the world. Afghan citizens have had to take extreme measures to provide for themselves and their families, resulting in participation in the illicit poppy cultivation and heroin production industries. Due to the lack of a source of income, many farmers took this opportunity to earn money as they did not have much repercussions to fear from the government. Economically, the supply of opium to other countries contributed greatly to Afghanistan's "wealth", but in doing so it also helped the Taliban and Afghan warlords obtain large sums of money to finance their battles. With opium production reaching its highest level in recent years, similar strategies used by the Taliban must be implemented again, otherwise Afghanistan's opium production will continue to expand..