Propaganda Price of illegal drugs continues to increase

[Lunar Loops]

This from USA Today:

Price of illegal drugs continues to increase

By Donna Leinwand, USA TODAY

Prices for cocaine and methamphetamine have risen for the fourth quarter in a row, a trend law enforcement officials say indicates supply has dropped.
The price for a pure gram of cocaine increased 47% since October 2006. The price of a pure gram of methamphetamine jumped 84%, says a report out Thursday by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"I don't think anyone is prepared to declare victory, but this is certainly encouraging news," says Scott Burns of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
A gram of pure cocaine cost about $137 in September, up from $93 in October 2006, according to a DEA database that analyzes seized illegal drugs. A gram of pure methamphetamine cost $245 in September, up from $133 in October 2006. The DEA uses the database to gauge illegal drug markets. High prices and low purity generally indicate a short supply. Dealers often use filler ingredients to stretch a drug supply.
Price increases don't necessarily show government success, says Bill Piper, a spokesman for the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports legalizing drugs. "When gasoline prices go up, politicians instinctively know that oil companies are getting rich," Piper says. "When drug prices go up, drug cartels are making money. … More people are going to enter the market because its more profitable."
The Justice Department's annual National Drug Intelligence Estimate, out Wednesday, said cocaine is replacing methamphetamine as the "principal drug threat" in the USA, based on a survey of law enforcement agencies. The assessment reports declines in domestic and smuggled Mexican meth, but increases in Canadian meth.
New state and federal restrictions on ingredients used to make meth have contributed to a decline in homegrown drugs produced in small labs, Burns says.
In the past year, Mexican authorities have sent troops to crack down on trafficking and violent drug gangs.

[old hippie 56]

Prices here in swim neck of the woods hasn't changed in years, except gasoline. Before too long, it be cheaper to buy drugs than gas.

[Miso Jace]

I think I should move to your neck of the woods hehe

[fnord]

so its called a victory when drug prices increase? dosent that mean more crimes committed by poor addicts due to increased prices? hmm i see even more flawed logic in this war on drugs.....

[Samadhi]

Ahh but when the desperate addicts come in and start stealing and robbing to get their fix the government will blame it on the economy or something like immigration and soon on CNN and FOX news or (insert right wing talking asses news channel here) will be trying to convince and explain why it is not the governments and legislations fault this is happening and believe me, the stupidity that floods the world will again prevail as the masses of the world will agree and the governments will spend more money.

and those who don't agree and see reason in legalizing or decriminalizing are all pot-smoking-communist-hippies who hate god

[enquirewithin]

Maybe it's because of the demise of the US$!

[Pino]

That can be, in europe the price hasn't rise yet. The dollar exchange rate was in october 2006 around the 80 dollar for 100 euro. The equivalent price of cocaine was then 74 euro's. The new cocaine price is 136 Dollars. The dollar exchange rate is now around the 70. So the new price in is 95 euro. This is a less significant rise in price than stated in the article. That is a little bit less than 30%.
As said above, it is funny the price in Europe hasn't changed. So there are probably some supply problems in the US. It is also not determined at which level this occurs. Does this happen on the level of pushers? Or higher in the chain? If they caught a lot of pushers, it is possible that prices went up, because the level of competition becomes less and the risks are higher. This of course would change the price. -This is the most likely scenario, because meth prices also went up. Even more than cocaine. So there is a big change a lot of pushers are jailed. Because meth is relative simple to produce and doesn't need a lot of infrastructure.-
If it is higher in the chain, supply problems will occur and swim thinks it is more likely cocaine gets more cut then, so the price also went up.

To conclude.

• The effects are considerable lower, cocaine's price changes are couple with the fall of the dollar.
  • 28% for cocaine.
  • 62% for methamphetamine.
• It is probably a low level effect, because the measurements had more effect on meth dealers than on cocaine dealers. Meth dealers are likely to produce their stuff self, while cocaine dealers needs an extensive infrastructure. When they had successes higher in the chain, cocaine dealers would have been affected more than meth dealers. This is not the case.

[The Professor]

Governments like the US (using them as an example -being from Australia our government plays pattsy ie follows suit) simply havent learnt (or dont want to admitt that proabition simply doesnt work. By making restricting ths sale of precursors required to make say meth eg pseudo-more diifficut to obtain in significant quantities (or putting blockers in the pills -manufacturers) the think they can stem the tide. It does restrict the supply cause not as many are doing it. Which simply means the price rises.
Eg In Western Australia at the moment if you listen to the media are experience an ice epademic. The state government has set up some sort of committee to address the problem since the police are not dealing with it affectively ie its out of control. The reality is the stuff out there is crap- and i mean literally I havent seen it that bad. And its not ice - which is 4-Methyl Aminorex (U4Euh)- quite different to methyampamphetamine. Its simple methyamphatamines or a derivative- cut with MSM (methy..sulphate) even at highest level (I know since I have friends that are involved in those circles-in the past my fiendship may have been more intimate) So I know whats going on.

For example:

1999 - 2000 1 gram of meth (about 15% purity street level was about $250 a gram). An ounce was between about $5,000 and a pound was about $60,000 - $75,000.

2001 - Ice was the drug of choice (rock) the real thing shabu. and it was literally everywhere ie readily available and highly pure cost 350 - $400 a gram (but that could last even a hardened junkie 10 shots). People I may or maynot know worked out that it could be cut with msn and still smoke up just as well without leaving black black residue. The shabu dried up but the effect has been long lasting, Ie people want rock (they think its ice -but a lot of them wouldnt even know what real ice/shabu feals like. They woud have been too young when it was around.

Anyway to summarise :
Present Day- Rock and Im not sure what it is - its not meth but could be a analog or may be more closely related to U4Euh. Personal opinion its closer to methyamphet. Is very hard to come by (for most people). If you are fortunate enough to know a dealer that has ties with these bigger players (eg a dealer that sells about 1/4 to half a pound a week) you get the decent stuff - but that dealer is paying $8000+ per ounce (and that price doesnt change cause of volume). So the only way he can make money is to cut it. Then the people he gives it to cut it again etc. And that when around (its like the big players are controlling supply - but I've spoken to a friend and he tells me thats not the case. Cause it has to be brought over from the eastern states of australia - that costs $ then they want a lot of money for I wont say specifics but in excess of $100,000 a pound).

Final: Restrictions have the effect of making streat product -short supply, expensive and poor quality. I dont think things are goin to change for a while.

[fnord]

my grandma dosent really pay for drugs that often(besides alcohol)due to a plethora of kind friends and her proficiency for bartering with others.so this isnt much to worry about for her.

[Kernacktur]

hmm I think rising gas prices have more to do with it than anything but other things are likely contributing. Both of those are largely imported and travel thousands of miles to get to the users. It's getting more expensive to transport so the drug becomes more expensive. Anyone have a figure of what % of meth is imported now-a-days?