Albania has become the largest producer of outdoor-grown cannabis in Europe. The potent plant has been described as "green gold" for struggling farmers. In a poor nation, it's a billion-euro industry.
Linda Pressly for BBC, 2016
We were on our way to the south of the country aiming to promote the new recruitment system that the current government was implementing for vacancies in the Public Administration, under the assistance and strict supervision of European Union. For you Steemers to have an idea on this matter, before the current system in place, there were only three ways to get a job in the Public Administration:
- Bribery: at least 3,000 euros for a job position
- Interference: Powerful relatives or friends, influential enough to politically appointed people
- Becoming a Party Member: If the your party won the election, then you would get a job because you helped them getting the votes during the electoral campaign. And in the next election, if your party would not win, then you would lose the job. Another one just like you would "deserve it".
It was end of April and the weather was pretty warm for the Mediterranean climate. The other car passenger, travelling with our staff and the communication campaign company, was actually a good example of a functioning recruitment system recently put in place.
After few days of research and investigation, he came up as one of the applicants, who won the competition by himself, without using one of the above three well- known methods for Albanians.
After half an hour in the same car, to break the ice, I asked him from which part of Albania he was coming from. Funny enough he was coming from the same city we were travelling to, or more specifically from a village of this city that deteriorated after communism and ended up having only 400 inhabitants.
While we were getting closer and closer to the city, so were we. He was not the emotional type, but he offered to share his story. And I consider that sacred, in a world where people are more and more closing themselves in a nutshell to protect themselves and their feelings, hoping to survive, living in survival- mode day after day!
He moved to the capital after entering Law School. For few years he worked in a Call Center (the most spread legal business in Albania- outsourcing economy a.k.a cheap labor), making his way up to Management Level positions.
However, as many other Call centers, that one also went into bankruptcy and moved out of Albania, leaving many young people wondering how to pay the upcoming rent. It was then when he decided to apply for a job in the Public Administration. Maybe the monthly salary would only be 380 euros net, but at least he would have stability.
I asked about his village; How did it look like; Could I visit; Are there hiking tracks there; Are people friendly; Is there a hotel...etc, etc.
The answers where not shocking to me, as I am a local. But, I have seen many tourists coming by and leaving the country with the impression that we are poor. Yes, it is true. Albania is poor. And that is why, many people (especially in the rural areas), have lost their hopes and are growing cannabis sativa.
So, were the inhabitants of his village. Well, only 399 out 400. One of them did not want to grow it. The rest of the village told him:
Here! Grow some too. We are earning our daily bread, finally building our houses and educating our children.
He refused again. Then, the rest of the village said:
Look at him. He is a lazy fucker. There is a lot of work, and he does not like to work. Shame on him!
While his family was still eating only diary products and vegetables from their home garden, the rest of the village avoided him. They all thought he was a spy. But, who was he spying for? To the police maybe. Well, not really!
Our police does play the role of the monitoring party! Every now and then, police travels to plantations, counting the plants and asking their commission. Otherwise, they will be the next burned down plantation.
But, you know all those jokes about police, right?
This is one of the conversations police would have with the 399 inhabitants of the village on a normal meeting:
Police: How many plants do you have in this plantation?
Villager: I have around 3,500 plants
Police: Ok, let's count! 1...2...3...4.....98...99...?!...?! Ok.. ok 3,500
Well... they do not really know how to count more than 100 in Albania :) Why? Because the system is corrupted. They don't have why to go to school to be a policeman. They can pay to get the job position directly :)
Burned down Example:
In 2014, we had to prove to Brussels/ EU that we were ready to open the negotiations and the new government was doing a great job! And so, they had to do something big. Something that no other government had done before. On a usual June morning, the country woke up to some shocking news
A major operation against the village, involving over 800 officers, was launched. Heavily armed locals shot RPGs and fired mortar rounds at the officers, who returned fire. Police took control of most of the village, with back then Interior Minister saying the operation would continue until "every square centimetre in Lazarat is under state control".
(Source, Wikipedia)
And here is a recent Headline regarding our former Minister of Defense, from Reuters:
Albanian prosecutors seek arrest of ex-Defense Minister on corruption, drug charges!
Smoke rose from the village as locals reportedly burned cannabis plants.
If I remember correctly, the "war" continued for three days and three nights. All eyes were on Lazarat. Few armed clashes ended up with young village boys and police officers getting wounded, others were arrested. In three months, everything was forgotten. The incident was only used in political debates, to make sure Brussels was convinced that the War on Drugs now began, thanks to the new political power.
The rest- the Weed Lovers- they were all so sad. Instead of spending 3 euros for the weekly supply, they had to spend 25 euros. The supply went down because Lazarat went down. Everyone was happy to sell at a high price. Everyone was afraid to grow.
For you, to have an idea on how Lazarat looked before, here is a video of 2 young dutch men during a trip in Albania, visiting the famous village:
Actually, the only thing that ended during those three days was employment for many people who traveled every day for an hour on foot, to reach the village and prepare marijuana for the European Market.
In February 2015 I traveled to my hometown to visit my grandmother. I like chatting with old people. I see them as a living treasure. Thankfully, my grandmother has many friend who visit. So, while having a turkish coffee with 80 yr old ladies, my grandmother asked another granny:
What will you grow this year in the garden? Potatoes? Tomatoes?
Other Granny:
What? Do I look crazy to you? They said (the police), we can grow up to 15 plants at home. If we grow more than that, they will come and cut it! I will get 5, 000 euros if I grow 15 plants. With potatoes, I will starve. The pension is not enough even for the electricity bill.
And for you, who did not believe that the Grannies are actually the Gangsters of Cannabis, here- TAKE THIS:
Thanks for coming by and reading through it! It is always a pleasure to share some traditions of our culture with the Steemit community :)
Today I am grateful for living in such a country, full of fertile soil to grow awesome herbs :)
Until next time,
Smoke On ... hm hm hm... Steem On