Availability

National Drug Intelligence Center
Methamphetamine Drug Threat Assessment
March 2005
UNCLASSIFIED

There are no conclusive estimates as to the total amount of methamphetamine available in the United States because of limitations in laboratory and drug seizure data and unsubstantiated or unknown laboratory capacity estimates in source areas. However, in attempting to quantify the amount of methamphetamine available in the United States, the interagency Methamphetamine Availability Working Group established an estimated range of 120.2 to 167.4 metric tons of pure methamphetamine in 2001, the only year for which such data are available. These estimates are derived from analysis of limited data and, as such, have a high degree of uncertainty.

Powder methamphetamine is the predominant type available in the United States, and law enforcement reporting as well as drug survey data indicates that, nationally, powder methamphetamine availability is increasing. Every HIDTA and 20 of 21 DEA Field Divisions report increasing availability of powder methamphetamine. According to DEA and HIDTA reporting, powder methamphetamine is readily available throughout the Pacific, Southwest, and West Regions as well as in most areas of the Midwest. Law enforcement reporting also indicates that the drug's availability has increased significantly in the Southeast to the point that methamphetamine is now readily available in many areas throughout the region. Availability also has increased notably in the Northeast Region, where the drug previously was unavailable or available only in limited amounts.

The availability of ice methamphetamine has increased in the past year, but overall this form of the drug is not as widely available in the United States as powder methamphetamine. Of the 21 DEA Field Divisions, 19 report that ice methamphetamine is available and that availability is increasing. Similarly, 14 HIDTAs report that ice methamphetamine is increasing in their areas. DEA and HIDTA reporting further indicates that in Arizona and northern California as well as in some areas of Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle ice methamphetamine has supplanted powder methamphetamine as the predominant type available.

The availability of methamphetamine tablets produced in Asia (primarily Burma) appears to be very limited; such tablets are available primarily in northern California. According to DEA, individuals of Hmong and Laotian ethnicity in northern California receive methamphetamine tablets from Burma for personal use and for limited distribution. However, there are no data available to establish reliable estimates as to the amount of Burma-produced methamphetamine tablets available in the United States.

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NDTS data indicate that methamphetamine availability has increased significantly over the past 3 years. The percentage of state and local law enforcement agencies reporting methamphetamine availability as high or moderate in their areas increased from 58.8 percent in 2002, to 64.6 percent in 2003, and 65.0 percent in 2004. In 2004 low methamphetamine availability was reported by 28.7 percent of agencies, and only 4.7 percent reported that methamphetamine was not available in their areas. Regionally, the highest percentage of agencies that reported high or moderate methamphetamine availability in 2004 was in the Pacific Region (99.0%), followed by the West (98.5%), Southwest (89.4%), Southeast (78.7%), Midwest (63.5%), and Northeast Regions (23.2%).

The amount of methamphetamine seized annually has fluctuated since 2001, but the data may suggest an increase in the availability of Mexico-produced methamphetamine. According to Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS) data, the amount of methamphetamine seized by federal agencies decreased significantly from 4,050 kilograms in 2001 to 2,475 kilograms in 2002, but then increased sharply to 3,845 kilograms in 2003. Of the methamphetamine seized since 2001, EPIC data show that an increasing amount was seized at or between POEs along the Southwest Border, an indication of increased smuggling of Mexico-produced methamphetamine into the United States. For example, EPIC data show that the combined amount of methamphetamine seized at or between POEs in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas decreased slightly from 1,214 kilograms in 2001 to 1,130 kilograms in 2002, but has since increased sharply to 1,733 kilograms in 2003 and 1,168 kilograms through July 2004.

DEA data regarding methamphetamine-related arrests show significant decreases overall since 2000; however, the data support anecdotal law enforcement reporting and survey data that indicate methamphetamine availability is increasing in the Northeast Region. DEA arrests for methamphetamine-related offenses decreased steadily from 7,700 in 2000 to 4,595 in 2003 (see Figure 2). This decline is due primarily to a shift in DEA strategy to arrest fewer but higher priority targets. Despite the decrease nationally, however, methamphetamine-related arrests have increased recently in the Northeast Region from 179 in 2002 to 198 in 2003, suggesting an increase in methamphetamine availability in that region, although the number of DEA methamphetamine-related arrests in the Northeast remains much lower than in other regions (see Figure 3).

Figure 2. Methamphetamine-related arrests, United States, 2000-2003.

Chart showing a declining number of methamphetamine-related arrests in the U.S. for the years 2000-2003.
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Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.

Figure 3. Methamphetamine-related arrests, by region, 2003.

Bar graph showing the number of methamphetamine-related arrests in 2003, broken down by region.
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Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.

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National-level drug purity data indicate that average methamphetamine purity has increased sharply since 2001, particularly because of increased availability of high purity ice methamphetamine. According to DEA, the average purity of methamphetamine samples tested increased from 40.0 percent in 2001, to 43.8 percent in 2002, and 57.4 percent in 2003.

There are no national-level data regarding average prices for powder methamphetamine, and therefore the only available data are not a reliable independent indicator of rising or falling availability of the drug. According to DEA, price ranges for wholesale (pound) and midlevel (ounce) quantities of powder methamphetamine have expanded since 2001. However, the price range for retail (gram) quantities was the same in both 2001 and 2003, despite a rise in price in 2002 (see Table 2).

Table 2. Powder Methamphetamine Prices, in Dollars, 2001-2003
	Pound	Ounce	Gram
2001	3,000-23,000	300-2,200	20-300
2002	6,000-45,000	100-6,000	20-600
2003	1,600-45,000	270-5,000	20-300

Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.

As with powder methamphetamine, there are no national price averages for ice methamphetamine. Moreover, DEA price data for ice (reported as national price ranges) are mixed, indicating neither an increase nor a decrease in availability (see Table 3).

Table 3. Ice Methamphetamine Prices, in Dollars, 2001-2003
	Pound	Ounce	Gram
2001	8,000-13,000	800-14,000	60-600
2002	6,000-73,000	500-3,000	120-500
2003	6,000-70,000	500-3,100	60-700

Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.

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Forms of Methamphetamine

Powder methamphetamine is the most common form of the drug in the United States. Clandestinely produced powder methamphetamine is crystalline in texture, bitter-tasting, soluble in water, and is produced in several colors including white, pink, red, tan, and brown depending on the production method employed. Powder methamphetamine usually is injected or snorted but also can be ingested orally or smoked.

Ice methamphetamine is a highly pure, very addictive form of methamphetamine resembling shards of ice or chunks of rock salt. Produced primarily in Guam, Hawaii, and Mexico, ice is the product of the process of recrystallizing powder methamphetamine in a solvent such as water, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, or acetone to remove impurities. Ice typically is smoked using either a glass pipe, an empty aluminum can, a piece of aluminum foil, or a light bulb.

Methamphetamine tablets are produced primarily in Burma and usually contain a combination of powder methamphetamine and caffeine. Methamphetamine tablets found in the United States typically are green or orange-red in color, imprinted with a variety of symbols (most commonly WY or R), and are approximately the size of a pencil eraser. Methamphetamine tablets typically are ingested orally and often are flavored and scented like candy (grape, orange, or vanilla). Tablets also are smoked by placing the tablet on a piece of aluminum foil and passing a heat source underneath the foil until the tablet melts and vapors--which are inhaled--are released. Methamphetamine tablets also can be crushed and snorted or mixed with water and injected.

Types of Methamphetamine

l-methamphetamine (levo-methamphetamine) is produced commercially and is the active ingredient in over-the-counter products sold in the United States. It does not have substantial addictive qualities.

dl-methamphetamine (dextro-levo-methamphetamine) is clandestinely produced using the P2P method, the preferred methamphetamine production method in the late 1970s and early 1980s (see Methamphetamine Production Methods text box in Production section). Although limited, production and use of dl-methamphetamine, which is less potent than d-methamphetamine, have reemerged.

d-methamphetamine (dextro-methamphetamine) is clandestinely produced using ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction methods (see Methamphetamine Production Methods). Highly addictive, d-methamphetamine is the most potent, widely abused form of methamphetamine.

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