VOA慢速英語:敘利亞內(nèi)戰(zhàn)幫助了黎巴嫩種植大麻的農(nóng)民

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

The spiky-leafedplants are the source of cannabis resin, known ashashish. It is a substance that is much in demand byrecreational drug makers worldwide.

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

"We want to live as everyone else does. If they want trouble, that's noproblem 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 themthey are good people."

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

Bekaa Valley farmers always have resisted government efforts to get rid of themarijuana 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 thegovernment would benefit from making cannabis legal like tobacco, because itcould collect taxes from cannabis growers. They say that exporting cannabisto the U.S. and Europe would add as much as $2 billion to the Lebaneseeconomy.

A man works in a field of cannabis in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Last year when fighting on Syria’s border increased,Lebanese officials quietly stopped their policing ofcannabis farms.

This report was written by Zlatica Hoke. I’mChristopher Cruise.

And I’m Anna Matteo. Join us again tomorrow foranother 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 makemoney? Should the crop be legalized? Let us know in our comment sectionwhere you can share your opinions and discuss the issue with otherlisteners.