The Hippies and eBay

In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Kathmandu, Nepal was known as the Hippie capital of the world. There seemed to be more of these flower children than natives. Their presence was tolerated because they were basically innocuous and they brought tourist revenues. It was only when the Hippies started misbehaving by camping out everywhere, walking around nude, and getting high on marijuana did the government of Nepal take a stricter attitude towards them. My father was one of the government officials whose job it became to reduce the Hippie population soon. They were then carted off by the truckful to the Indian border and dumped in Raxaul. My Dad was not very happy at this since he genuinely liked the Hippies and their peaceful way of life.

Marijuana grew freely all over Nepal (and still does) but was not known to most Nepali as a plant that got you "high." The Hippies taught us that. So it was then that most teenagers and young professionals learned about the wonder of this plant. Marijuana was harvested widely and was smoked at all young peoples' gathering. It was a craze that lasted for a few years. When the Hippies left, the use of marijuana also also miraculously declined. Many still smoked it but its popularity had reached its zenith around 1972. Why am I now discussing marijuana and the Hippies? An what is their relation to eBay?

When I went back home about four years ago, I noticed some familiar-looking plants growing aplenty all around. At my brother's place, they were about ten feet tall and flourished all over the yard. When I visited my in-laws, the same phenomenon was re-visited. This same scenario occurred everywhere I went whether it was to a friend's house or to my relatives' place. Cannabis sativa was prevalent all over and grew in batches as far as the eye could see. It was then that I had a wild and crazy thought which was nipped in the bud by friends and family. The idea was fun while it lasted but reality then sank in.

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What was my crazy idea? I had been a member of eBay since 2001 and had sold lots of Nepali goods such as antiques, thankas and Nepali paper paintings. Why not then sell a map to the many marijuana locations all over Kathmandu? Would eBay shoot down this idea? Would the DEA object and consider me a threat? How could they? After all, I was sending all the smokers away from the US to Nepal. I could put up maps of various sites in different listings on eBay and reap the benefits (no pun intended!). But, alas, I am not a good businessman and will never be one. The only idea I had for "harvesting" money was pooh-poohed as a stupid, illegal scheme that could get me jailed. Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men....