Queen Victoria, the long-reigning British monarch, had a surprising side hustle: she was arguably the biggest drug dealer in history. A new book by Sam Kelly, Human History on Drugs, reveals the young queen's pivotal role in the opium trade that dwarfed modern cartels.

Victoria ascended the throne at 18, inheriting a nation addicted to Chinese tea. Desperate to balance trade, Britain turned to opium grown in India. Under Victoria's reign, opium exports to China skyrocketed, accounting for up to 20% of the empire's revenue. When China tried to halt the influx, Victoria launched the First Opium War in 1839, slaughtering tens of thousands of Chinese, making the cartels of today look like street corner dealers.

The queen wasn't just a dealer; she was a user. Kelly reports in Time magazine th

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