NCJ Number
152432
Date Published
1994
Length
22 pages
Annotation
By charting the fluctuations in price and purity on a drug- specific basis, this report provides a gauge by which to measure trends in the overall availability of illegal drugs from January 1991 through June 1994.
Abstract
This report provides illegal cocaine, heroin, marijuana, hallucinogen, depressant, and stimulant prices in the United States from January 1991 through June 1994. In addition, purity levels are included for cocaine and heroin as is the THC (delta- 9-tetrahydrocannabinol) potency for marijuana. The prices reported from all areas are used to determine the "national range." Cocaine prices at the kilogram level remained relatively low in the primary importation/distribution centers of Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York City, as well as in most other major U.S. cities during April through June 1994. The national average purity of cocaine remained relatively high at all levels of the traffic during April through June 1994. At the kilogram, ounce, and gram levels, the purity averaged 83, 76, and 64 percent, respectively, during that time frame. For heroin, the most significant trend is continued high purity at the gram and ounce level. During April through June 1994, gram purity averaged 57 percent for purchases and 37 percent for seizures, and purity at the ounce level averaged 56 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Numerous and diverse foreign sources of supply generally account for the wide variances in price. During April through June 1994, the price for a pound of commercial grade marijuana ranged from $285 to $3,400; a decade ago, the prices ranged from $350 to $600 per pound. Although there was some fluctuation in the prices of LSD nationally over the past several years, overall prices for this hallucinogen remained relatively low. During April through June 1994, LSD prices ranged from $0.40 to $5.00 per wholesale dosage unit and from $1.00 to $10.00 per retail dosage unit. 22 tables