The Golden Crescent refers to a geographical area in southwest Asia encompassing portions of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. The region's poppy fields are among the world's top suppliers of opium, rivaled only by those of the Golden Triangle region in southeast Asia and, to a lesser extent, Latin American countries such as Colombia and Mexico (which are significant suppliers to the United States).

The region is also a major supplier of cannabis, which is cultivated primarily in Afghanistan but is processed in remote regions of Pakistan to be trafficked throughout the region for eventual export.

[Page 318]It was estimated that by 2009, Afghanistan had emerged as the world's largest hashish producer.

It has been estimated that by 2007, Afghanistan had become the supplier of 90 percent of the ...