Illegal Drug Trade; What Are the Street Prices of Commonly Traded Illegal Substances?
Question by Dr Monk: Illegal Drug Trade; What are the Street prices of commonly traded illegal substances?
I am writing an essay on the global, nationalized and local effects of the drug trade on their respective economies. In order to write an all-encompassing paper i need to know the average prices drugs are traded for on the streets. I already have a lot of specifics on international trade and large scale distribution so what i’m really in need of are the prices “users” pay. I need all the pricing info i can get on Marijuana, Methamphetamines, Herion (and other opium derivatives), Crack/Cocaine, psychotropic Mushrooms, LSD, Prescription narcotics like Oxycodone or hydrocodone and ecstacy. (Please include weights and measures of said substances)
Now given that prices for all products vary around the world, would you (if you’re comfortable doing so) put the country and state from which you are citing your prices; All for the sake of detailed research. Thanks, Trent
Best answer:
Answer by BanjoEclipse
Well, I’ve only ever bought a few of those drugs. Here are the prices for the drugs bought in Berkeley, California, all in dollar amounts:
Marijuana: 20-75 for an eighth oz depending on the potency and quality. For most people to get stoned once it costs 1-5, generally on the lower end for infrequent smokers.
Mushrooms: 15-35 for an eighth oz, also depending on the potency. An eighth is generally considered a dose for one person to have a good trip, though eighths can vary somewhat in their psilocybin content. Most eighths cost 20.
LSD: 5-15 for a hit or tab, 1-5 when getting it from a well connected person. A single blotter of LSD can contain anywhere from 50-400 micrograms, but is usually between 50 and 120 unless specified otherwise. For a real trip, most people need 100-250 micrograms of LSD.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Explainer: Why Have Cocaine Prices Gone Down? – In a recent column George Will noted that the price of cocaine has dropped between 80 and 90 percent over the last three decades. How did coke get so cheap? Economies of scale, mainly. Cocaine prices are much lower than they were in the early 1980s because of major changes to how cocaine is made and distributed. A dip in demand since the Reagan era is also a factor. Cocaine started as a small business, with coca leaves being processed in basements. Even legendary drug lords like Pablo Escobar and the Ochoa brothers started by smuggling cocaine in their own suitcases. The surge in demand starting in the late 1970s changed that, and kingpins built empires, modernizing processing, transport, and retail networks. Suitcases turned into small planes carrying coke by the metric ton. By the end of the 1980s, submarines and cargo ships were carrying the drug. Processing complexes employed hundreds of workers and churned out several tons each week. Producers worked together to mitigate risk, and even offered insurance to traffickers. All of these factors reduced the costs of bringing cocaine to market, driving the price down 60 percent within a decade. More recently, changes in technology—cell phones and the Internet—have helped dealers get off corners and go directly to consumers, increasing efficiency and reducing risk. By 2007, a pure gram of cocaine cost about 0—80 percent less than it did in1982. If only we could say the same thing for gas prices.
Europe cocaine seizure means more bananas for zoo
Filed under: cocaine prices
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – A major cocaine seizure in Europe has turned out to be good news for the animals at Rotterdam's zoo. The drugs were hidden among boxes of bananas, and the fruit was later donated to the monkeys and other creatures at … Read more on NBC 29 News
Fla. Coast Guard offloads mil. in cocaine, pot
Filed under: cocaine prices
The Tampa Tribune (http://tinyurl.com/9xbklm2 ) reports the cocaine was seized when Coast Guard officials detained a group of suspected drug smugglers in international waters off the coast of Honduras. While onboard, Coast Guard crew members … Read more on WPEC