Marijuana

Marijuana, produced primarily in Mexico, is the second greatest drug threat to Tennessee. Marijuana is the most readily available and commonly abused drug in the state; however, its distribution and abuse are generally not associated with violent crime. Tennessee has more marijuana-related treatment admissions and federal sentences than any other drug except cocaine. Cannabis is grown in the Appalachia-Cumberland Plateau region in eastern and central Tennessee, one of the most productive cannabis growing regions in the country. Mexican criminal groups based in Tennessee transport marijuana produced in Mexico into and through Tennessee from distribution centers primarily in Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas. African American and Hispanic street gangs also transport Mexico-produced marijuana, primarily from California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Texas. Mexican criminal groups and street gangs such as Gangster Disciples, Mara Salvatrucha, and Vice Lords are the primary wholesale distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Tennessee. Street gangs, primarily African American, and local independent dealers are the primary retail distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana and the primary wholesale and retail distributors of locally produced marijuana. Caucasian criminal groups and OMGs, among others, also distribute retail quantities of marijuana in Tennessee.

Abuse

Treatment data indicate that marijuana is commonly abused in Tennessee. The number of marijuana-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in Tennessee increased from 1995 to 1999 and was second only to cocaine. (See Table 3 in Cocaine section.) According to TEDS data, treatment admissions for marijuana as the primary drug of abuse in the state increased from 974 in 1995 to 1,482 in 1999. Although the number of treatment admissions per 100,000 for marijuana abuse increased dramatically in Tennessee, the number of admissions per 100,000 is significantly lower than the national average. Tennessee had 32 marijuana-related admissions per 100,000 in 1999 compared with 103 per 100,000 nationwide. (See Table 2 in Overview section.)

Tennessee residents, particularly young adults, report abusing marijuana more often than any other illicit drug. According to the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 3.6 percent of Tennessee residents surveyed reported past month marijuana abuse compared with 4.7 percent nationally. Individuals ages 18 to 25 reported the highest rate of past month marijuana abuse (9.7%) that year.

State survey data also indicate that marijuana is commonly abused in Tennessee. According to the 1998 Tennessee Department of Health, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Survey, 29 percent of adults surveyed reported they had abused marijuana at least once in their lifetime, and 2.6 percent reported they were current abusers. Results from another survey by the same department that year indicated that 37 percent of emergency room patients surveyed reported they had abused marijuana at least once in their lifetime, and 8 percent reported current abuse.

The rate of marijuana abuse reported by high school students in Tennessee is comparable to the rate reported by high school students nationwide. According to the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 26.6 percent of high school students surveyed in Tennessee reported having abused marijuana at least once in the past month compared with 26.7 percent of high school students surveyed nationwide. Rates of abuse among high school males and females in Tennessee were 31.1 percent and 22.0 percent respectively, compared with 30.8 percent and 22.6 percent nationwide.

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Availability

Marijuana is the most readily available drug in Tennessee. Mexico-produced marijuana is the type most commonly available in Tennessee; however, locally produced marijuana also is available. According to FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials in Tennessee seized 2,120.4 kilograms of marijuana in 1999 and 3,015.7 kilograms in 2000. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation seized 5.2 kilograms of marijuana in 1999 and 12.3 kilograms in 2000. Law enforcement officials seized 199.8 kilograms of marijuana in 1999 and 148.1 kilograms in 2000 under Operation Jetway and 2,395.4 kilograms of marijuana in 1999 and 5,658.3 kilograms in 2000 under Operation Pipeline. Additionally, DEA eradicated 380,164 cannabis plants in 2000.

The price of marijuana in Tennessee usually is based on the type and quantity being sold. Law enforcement officials in the state reported that Mexico-produced marijuana sold for $600 to $1,200 per pound in 2000, although distributors could purchase marijuana in Texas for half that price. The DEA Memphis Resident Office reported that Mexico-produced marijuana generally sold for $275 per ounce. Locally produced marijuana generally was of a higher quality than Mexico-produced marijuana and usually sold for $2,800 to $3,200 per pound.

Tennessee had more marijuana-related federal sentences than any other drug except cocaine in 1999 and 2000. According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the number of marijuana-related federal sentences increased annually from 73 in 1997 to 121 in 2000. (See Table 1 in Overview section.)

Violence

Violence related to marijuana distribution and abuse in Tennessee generally is minimal. However, street gangs such as Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples, Mara Salvatrucha, and Vice Lords, among others, that sell marijuana along with other drugs commit violent crimes. These gangs have a propensity for violence and have committed burglary, theft, and black market weapons violations.

Violent crimes sometimes are associated with marijuana production in Tennessee. Cannabis growers frequently carry weapons, place animal traps among plants, post guard dogs, and hang fish hooks from monofilament line around the perimeter of the fields to protect their crops. Cannabis growers also use metal spikes and "punji" stakes placed randomly throughout cannabis fields to injure or kill intruders. Law enforcement officers in Tennessee occasionally seize unmanned firearms that are rigged to fire in the direction of intruders.

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Production

Cannabis is cultivated primarily outdoors in Tennessee. The growing conditions in Tennessee are ideal for outdoor cannabis cultivation. Cannabis plants are cultivated primarily in the Appalachia-Cumberland Plateau region in eastern and central Tennessee, which has ample rainfall and a temperate climate. The Appalachia Mountain region--which includes portions of Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia--is considered one of the most productive cannabis growing regions in the country. Between 1993 and 2000 Tennessee ranked among the top five states in the nation based on the number of cannabis plants eradicated. The quantity of cannabis eradicated in Tennessee in 1999 had an estimated street value of more than $628 million, surpassing the value of tobacco, the largest legitimate cash crop, which was valued at $218 million.

Outdoor cannabis growers attempt to conceal their plants in a variety of ways. Cultivators sometimes use camouflage netting to cover the plants or hang red Christmas balls from the stems of cannabis plants to make them resemble tomato plants. Many cannabis cultivators plant numerous, smaller plots scattered throughout a large area to avoid law enforcement detection. Law enforcement officials report that large-scale growers sometimes produce as many as three crops annually.

Indoor cannabis grows are becoming more common in Tennessee. Indoor cannabis cultivators using hydroponic techniques produce marijuana with higher levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana. Indoor cannabis production occurs year-round and is easily concealed from law enforcement officials and thieves. In April 2000 the DEA Chattanooga Resident Office arrested an older Caucasian individual and seized an indoor cannabis grow equipped with a cooling system for temperature regulation, a remote controlled irrigation system, and specialized lighting.

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Transportation

Mexican criminal groups, some associated with Mexican DTOs, transport large quantities of marijuana into and through Tennessee in tractor-trailers from distribution centers primarily in Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas. Reports from the DEA Memphis Resident Office indicate that Mexican criminal groups usually transport between 100 and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per shipment. In January 1999 local law enforcement officials in Morristown, northeast of Knoxville, seized 160 pounds of marijuana wrapped in aluminum foil, duct tape, and cellophane. The marijuana was hidden inside a duffel bag in a tractor-trailer that departed from Mexico. In February 1999 law enforcement officials in Manchester, southeast of Nashville, seized 500 pounds of marijuana destined for distribution in Chattanooga and Atlanta. The marijuana was concealed in a compartment covered by lumber in a tractor-trailer that originated in Texas and traveled through Nashville.

Mexico-produced marijuana also is transported into and through the state in private vehicles. Mexican criminal groups based in Tennessee frequently purchase large automobiles or sport utility vehicles and build concealed compartments in the gas tanks that can hold up to 100 pounds of marijuana. African American and Hispanic street gang members travel in private vehicles from Tennessee primarily to California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Texas to purchase Mexico-produced marijuana from other street gangs and transport the drug back. Members of Gangster Disciples and Vice Lords in western Tennessee commonly transport marijuana in private vehicles from Chicago and St. Louis to Tennessee on I-55. Members of Mara Salvatrucha in Nashville transport marijuana in private vehicles primarily from California, Texas, and New York via I-40 and I-81. Members of Niggas from Lonsdale, a Knoxville-based gang, transport marijuana in private vehicles from Florida using I-75 and New York using I-81.

Mexican criminal groups also ship Mexico-produced marijuana into and through Tennessee concealed in packages sent through commercial package delivery services. Marijuana transported through package delivery services sometimes is concealed inside boxed window shutters and doors and in computer monitors. In December 1999 USCS seized over 4 kilograms of marijuana hidden inside a wooden plaque in a package at the Memphis International Airport.

Various local independent dealers transport locally produced marijuana out of the state in private vehicles to metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. Some locally produced marijuana is transported within the state primarily to Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville for local distribution.

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Distribution

Mexican criminal groups and, to a lesser extent, street gangs such as Gangster Disciples, Mara Salvatrucha, and Vice Lords are the primary wholesale distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Tennessee. They usually purchase Mexico-produced marijuana from Mexican criminal groups and street gangs in states such as California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, and Texas. Bloods and Crips distribute Mexico-produced marijuana at the wholesale level in the state but to a much lesser extent. Street gangs, primarily African American, and various local independent dealers are the dominant retail distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Tennessee. They commonly sell the drug at open-air drug markets.

Street gangs, primarily African American, and local independent dealers are the primary wholesale and retail distributors of locally produced marijuana. Locally produced marijuana usually is distributed outside the state; however, some is sold in Tennessee. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reports that most of the cannabis cultivated in central and eastern Tennessee is distributed outside the state, while the DEA Memphis Resident Office reports that most of the cannabis cultivated in western Tennessee is distributed locally. Local independent dealers usually distribute locally produced marijuana from their homes and through business fronts.

Caucasian criminal groups and OMGs, among others, also distribute retail quantities of marijuana in Tennessee. Caucasian criminal groups distribute retail quantities of both Mexico- and locally produced marijuana, while OMGs distribute Mexico-produced marijuana. Law enforcement officials in Chattanooga report that Caucasian criminal groups and OMGs distribute marijuana in their area, while law enforcement officials in Knoxville report that Caucasian criminal groups distribute marijuana in their jurisdiction.

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