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National Drug Intelligence Center California Drug Threat Assessment Update May 2002 Other Dangerous DrugsThe use of club drugs such as MDMA, GHB, and ketamine and hallucinogens such as LSD and PCP is increasing. Teenagers and young adults most frequently abuse these drugs. The diversion and abuse of pharmaceuticals are also serious and growing concerns in the state.
MDMAMost MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) available in California is produced outside the United States, typically in laboratories in the Netherlands and Belgium, and transported through express mail services and by couriers on commercial airlines. Russian and Israeli DTOs smuggle most of the MDMA currently available in the state. These organizations generally transport the drug to California, primarily Los Angeles, using couriers on commercial air flights. However, law enforcement reporting reveals that MDMA increasingly is being transported from Europe to Mexico and then smuggled across the Southwest border into California. Once in the state, MDMA is distributed regionally and throughout the country.
MDMA typically is sold and abused at raves and nightclubs. However, the drug is increasingly available at a number of other venues including open-air markets, schools, colleges, and private parties. According to DEA, MDMA tablets, with a purity of 85 percent to 95 percent, sell for approximately $7 each at the wholesale level and $20 each at the retail level.
GHBYoung adult Caucasian males--particularly college students--are the primary distributors of GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) throughout the state. GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, soap, scoop, Georgia homeboy, grievous bodily harm, liquid x, and goop, is a central nervous system depressant. The drug typically is used by young adults in many cities throughout the state and has been used in the commission of drug-facilitated sexual assaults because of its sedative properties. According to DEA, a dose of GHB sells for $5 to $20 at the retail level.
KetamineKetamine is smuggled into California from Mexico generally by local independent dealers. According to DEA, the drug is often sold at raves for $20 per dose (0.2 gram) and is generally abused by adolescents and young adults. Ketamine is an injectable anesthetic that, when taken in large doses, causes reactions similar to those experienced with PCP. Ketamine has also been used in the commission of drug-facilitated sexual assaults because of its sedative properties.
LSDThe hallucinogen LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is produced by a small, tightly knit group of chemists in Northern California and is distributed in the state and throughout the country via package delivery services and couriers in private vehicles. LSD is readily available on college campuses and in suburban middle and high schools and, according to DEA, sells for $5 to $10 per dose. LSD often is applied to blotter paper and candy and disguised as breath freshener drops.
PCPThe hallucinogen PCP (phencyclidine) available in California is primarily produced and distributed by Los Angeles-based African American street gangs. However, law enforcement officials in Monterey, San Benito, San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville have noted an increase in the availability of PCP crystal--the pure powder form of the drug--that is being produced in the state by Mexican nationals. PCP is commonly smoked in cigarettes that have been dipped into the liquid form of the drug. According to DEA, one PCP-laced cigarette sells for $20 to $30 at the retail level. PCP users often display unpredictable and violent behavior, posing a threat to law enforcement officers and others.
Diverted PharmaceuticalsPharmaceuticals, particularly hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab) and oxycodone (OxyContin), are diverted, distributed, and abused in many areas of the state. Many pharmaceuticals that are controlled in the United States are easily obtainable in Mexico at pharmacies where records of transactions are not kept and prescriptions are not required. |
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