Sorry you feel it makes you look stupid. For what it's worth, I'm merely playing the devil's advocate and I'm not entirely sure where I stand on all of these is

Sorry you feel it makes you look stupid. For what it's worth, I'm merely playing the devil's advocate and I'm not entirely sure where I stand on all of these issues. I'm not saying a single farmer could vertically integrate from opium to heroin, but aren't small businesses possible? They would certainly benefit from flexibility and being under-the-radar in a way that could offset the negatives of not having an economy of scale. And on your last point, I didn't mean that the CIA went in and set up shop, first "creating" the cartel. But a single buyer (possible), or at least one who allows specific individuals to operate (almost definite), certainly helps in the creation, so to speak, of the larger criminal organization by giving their suppliers or smugglers a hand up on those who have to worry about running afoul of the DEA and other authorities.