Marijuana

Marijuana is the most readily available and commonly abused drug in New Hampshire. According to the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 5.9 percent of New Hampshire residents report having abused marijuana in the month prior to the survey compared with 4.7 percent nationwide. Marijuana-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities decreased from 763 in 1998 to 630 in 1999; however, the number of admissions reported in 1999 is more than double the number reported in 1994 (374), according to TEDS. (See Table 1 in Heroin section.)

State and local law enforcement officials report that marijuana is readily available in New Hampshire despite the limited amount of marijuana seized. According to FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials seized no marijuana in FY1999 and 0.4 kilograms in FY2000. The lack of seizures reflects the reallocation of resources to investigations involving other drug types, not a decrease in the supply of marijuana. According to DEA, in the first quarter of FY2002, commercial grade marijuana sold for $900 to $2,200 per pound, sinsemilla sold for $2,500 to $3,000 per pound, and a marijuana joint sold for $5.

Mexican criminal groups in Mexico and in southern California, Arizona, and Texas produce most of the marijuana that is available in New Hampshire. Marijuana produced in Canada is available to a much lesser extent. Local independent Caucasian dealers and abusers cultivate cannabis indoors and outdoors to produce marijuana for personal use and distribution within the state.

Mexican criminal groups transport most of the marijuana available in New Hampshire from Mexico and southwest border states. These groups primarily use private and commercial vehicles as well as package delivery services and couriers aboard commercial aircraft to transport marijuana into the state.

Mexican criminal groups generally control the wholesale distribution of marijuana produced in Mexico, southern California, Arizona, and Texas. Loosely organized local Caucasian criminal groups and local independent Caucasian dealers are the primary retail distributors of marijuana in the state.

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