Most people have seen the story in the news concerning the records showing 20.8 million pills prescribed in Williamson, WV with a population of 2900. Have you wondered why?!?!?
Now for the rest of the story . . .
I worked in West Virginia from 1970 to about ~1987 as a soil scientist/geologist working all over the state. In the 1980s I worked out of Beckley, West Virginia. I knew at the time Moon shining was declining and Marijuana growing and marketing was on the rise. The government was producing safe high quality moonshine and selling it cheap in State stores in mason jars. Through friends I found market trends change over time, from Marijuana, to designer drugs cooked up in the kitchen to opioids.
Why Williamson? It is on the Big Sandy River next to Kentucky, and the county seat of Mingo County. Coincidently the Norfolk and Western Railroad from Chicago to Norfolk, Virginia and Williamson is the major railroad and crew transfer point in the middle of the line. When I was working in Mingo County I would eat breakfast at the Coal Hotel where all the railroad crews stayed. It was obvious when local came in with army duffle bags bulging with the goods and placed them in the coat rack area. The railroad crews picked them up when they left, and left envelopes on the shelf. The smell throughout the restaurant was very obvious as to what the bags contained. There were always at least several law enforcement officers in the restaurant every morning. Everything was cool.
Being the convenient main transfer point for drugs produced in the region for over +40 years that I know of made it logical that as the market changes in the USA, Mingo County adapts to the market demand.
Now for the rest of the story . . .
I worked in West Virginia from 1970 to about ~1987 as a soil scientist/geologist working all over the state. In the 1980s I worked out of Beckley, West Virginia. I knew at the time Moon shining was declining and Marijuana growing and marketing was on the rise. The government was producing safe high quality moonshine and selling it cheap in State stores in mason jars. Through friends I found market trends change over time, from Marijuana, to designer drugs cooked up in the kitchen to opioids.
Why Williamson? It is on the Big Sandy River next to Kentucky, and the county seat of Mingo County. Coincidently the Norfolk and Western Railroad from Chicago to Norfolk, Virginia and Williamson is the major railroad and crew transfer point in the middle of the line. When I was working in Mingo County I would eat breakfast at the Coal Hotel where all the railroad crews stayed. It was obvious when local came in with army duffle bags bulging with the goods and placed them in the coat rack area. The railroad crews picked them up when they left, and left envelopes on the shelf. The smell throughout the restaurant was very obvious as to what the bags contained. There were always at least several law enforcement officers in the restaurant every morning. Everything was cool.
Being the convenient main transfer point for drugs produced in the region for over +40 years that I know of made it logical that as the market changes in the USA, Mingo County adapts to the market demand.