Mike Mohrfield: (Did I manage to spell it right a second time?) As above, Gloranthan cultures are more like our "Dark Ages" or earlier cultures. The nineteenth century when the chinese banned opium is, to me, modern. Why was it banned? Was it to protect people, or trading rights or something?
Maybe a count of Sun County banned hazia because his priests told him to so as to hinder the lunars getting it for their schools that use it. I think some Sartarite and other chiefs and leaders might try to keep their people from using it, and might make laws. Most of these earlier type cultures are too wrapped-up in their traditional ways to be constantly looking for new laws like we do.
I think that there are countries today that have made laws against things just because the U.S. and other "modernized" nations have. This might be so even in countries where that particular "drug" or whatever has never been imported in large amounts. I've heard that in the Shahs' Iran Marijuana was very illegal altho most people either didn't know it from seeing it, or were just claiming not to recognise the plant. At the same time you could go to the market everyday and see people sitting against the walls drooling on themselves from having smoked opium, which you could get anywhere and was often used. I think opium was sort-of part of the culture, and marijuana wasn't. Quite a bit of speculation there. Bye now. Daniel
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