Europe’s marijuana capital isn’t Amsterdam

Tenchi

Tenchi

Bluelighter
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Newcastle, UK
Globalpost.com said:
GJIROKASTRA, Albania — The last time police tried to enter the mountainside village of Lazarat near this historic southern city last summer, they prompted a ferocious firefight a local police commissioner describes as “very much like a real war.”

Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being ostracized, he said he was part of a special forces operation during which sniper units occupied high ground as SWAT teams moved in to arrest a handful of people working in fields surrounding the village.

They were no ordinary fields: Lazarat is known as Albania’s drug capital, notorious for its cannabis and lawlessness.

The annual crop earns almost $6 billion, according to the Italian financial police.

Although local police dispute that figure, they admit that marijuana production is booming.

Last year’s raid didn’t last long. When officers began cutting down cannabis plants, 15 SUVs mounted with heavy machine guns materialized and started firing.

“We were drawing indiscriminate fire from 20 positions, including heavy machine guns and anti-tank missiles,” the commissioner said. “I saw a 70-year-old grandmother shooting at us with a heavy machine gun. I thought I was going to die.”

Worried about civilian casualties, the police withdrew as snipers disabled the SUVs with explosive bullets.

They haven’t been back. The commissioner said that drugs traffickers have taken advantage of a political power vacuum during the formation of a government following national elections in June to invest large funds in the fields this year.
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As they say, Lazarat is where it's at.

I saw a 70-year-old grandmother shooting at us with a heavy machine gun. I thought I was going to die.
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Sic semper tyrannis motherfucker
 
Probably produce good hash there, first I ever heard of the Albanian weed scene. There are other depressed towns where everyone takes part in cultivation in California and BC. This article makes it sound like the country is at war. Don't let the farmer's machine guns scare you from visiting according to Wikipedia:

In 2011 Albania was listed as the top travel destination worldwide, by lonely planet. and Albania listed at 17th lowest crime rate ahead of many western nations such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden and France.

Might be a nice vacation, good beaches, lots to see and cheap
 
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The Mexican cartels need to arm some grandmas to romance up their image, seems like the Balkan folk have it down-pat when it comes to making really seedy (no pun), ugly crime look good.
 
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