I’d be happy to hear from any commenter who can tell me how much has changed from this assessment from a Congressional Research Service report from January 2008
http://opencrs.com/document/RL32686/
“…. Across Afghanistan, militia commanders, criminal organizations, and corrupt officials have exploited narcotics as a reliable source of revenue and patronage, which has perpetuated the threat these groups pose to the country’s fragile internal security and the legitimacy of its embryonic democratic government …. many observers have warned that drugrelated corruption among appointed and elected Afghan officials may create new political obstacles to further progress ….”
My guess: not so much.

I think this approach ties in with the agenda of groups like (what used to be called) the Senlis Council:
http://www.icosgroup.net/modules/about_us

calling for the following:
http://www.poppyformedicine.net/
“A village-based economic solution to Afghanistan’s poppy crisis is available, which links Afghanistan’s two most valuable resources – poppy cultivation and strong local village control systems – through the controlled cultivation of poppy for the village-based production of morphine. Based on extensive on-the-ground research, ICOS has developed a Poppy for Medicine project model for Afghanistan as a means of bringing illegal poppy cultivation under control in an immediate yet sustainable manner. The key feature of the model is that village-cultivated poppy would be transformed into morphine tablets in the Afghan villages.”

Instead of putting the security horse in front of the opium cart, this approach seems to say, “hey, it’s already here, so if we legalize and regulate it, all will be well”. Sad to say, I don’t think the AFG government is ready for “regulation” of this sort…