Other Dangerous Drugs

Strategic Findings

• Since 2004 Canada-based Asian criminal groups (primarily ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese) have been expanding MDMA distribution and have significantly elevated MDMA availability.
• The arrests of several major PCP producers in Southern California (the primary location for domestic PCP production) has caused a decrease in the availability of PCP in the region and will most likely affect availability in the rest of the United States.
• LSD abuse still remains low after a major DEA operation conducted in 2001 dismantled a major LSD producing and trafficking organization

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Overview

The trafficking and abuse of other dangerous drugs (ODDs)--including MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as ecstasy), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), PCP (phencyclidine), and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate)--collectively represent a moderate threat. Distribution and abuse of LSD, PCP, and GHB have declined to relatively low levels, and notwithstanding the possibility of sporadic, localized outbreaks, a significant national resurgence of these drugs appears unlikely in the near term. However, MDMA distribution by Canada-based Asian criminal groups has expanded significantly to a level approaching that observed in 2001, when availability and abuse of the drug peaked. Although ODDs are less available than pharmaceutical drugs or other major drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine, the attraction of ODDs, particularly MDMA and GHB, to adolescents elevates the threat associated with these drugs.  

MDMA is the only ODD demonstrating significant  national or increasing availability: There is little consistent or comprehensive law enforcement reporting regarding the availability of most ODDs. However, DEA System To Retrieve Information From Drug Evidence (STRIDE) data for 2003 to 2005 indicate that the availability of GHB, LSD, and PCP is usually limited to relatively small quantities in few drug markets, while MDMA is readily available in most areas of the United States. For example, STRIDE data show that MDMA seizure samples have been submitted from nearly every state (48), greatly exceeding the number of states from which seized samples of PCP (25), GHB (22), or LSD (18) have been submitted during the same period. Moreover, as seizures of other ODDs have fluctuated somewhat but have remained low (see Table 5 in Appendix B), the amount of MDMA seized by federal law enforcement agencies has increased 186 percent from approximately 1.92 million dosage units seized in 2004 to nearly 5.5 million dosage units in 2005. This trend is likely to continue as Asian criminal groups continue to expand MDMA distribution, raising availability  of the drug.

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The domestic production of ODDs is very limited and may be decreasing: ODDs are illicitly produced in clandestine laboratories in the United States; however, the number of GHB, LSD, MDMA, and PCP laboratories seized each year is very low--decreasing overall in 2005 (see Table 7 in Appendix B)--and such labs typically are capable of producing only small quantities. Moreover, operators of these domestic laboratories typically are independent producers not associated with large DTOs. Several factors contribute to limited domestic production of LSD and MDMA, particularly the complexity of production and the limited availability of precursor chemicals. Production of GHB and PCP is relatively simple, and precursor chemicals are more available; however, production has quite likely been limited both because of limited demand for the drugs and because the independent producers are incapable of sustained national distribution of the drug. Moreover, several major PCP producers operating in Southern California were arrested in 2005 and 2006, causing a decrease in production. With respect to MDMA, increasing production in Canada--as indicated by Canadian law enforcement reporting--and continued high production in Europe have proven sufficient to support a recent expansion of distribution in the United States.

Most MDMA is now smuggled into the United States through U.S.-Canada POEs: Over the past 3 years, Canada-based Asian criminal groups have supplanted Israeli DTOs as the primary smugglers of MDMA into the United States after many Israeli MDMA distribution networks operating in the United States were dismantled. Whereas Israeli groups smuggled MDMA into East Coast cities (principally Newark, New York City, and Miami) almost exclusively via couriers on commercial flights from Europe, Canada-based Asian criminal groups most often smuggle the drug into the United States via private and commercial vehicles over the U.S.-Canada border. Almost all of the MDMA smuggled into the United States from Canada is produced in Canada and is transported through U.S.-Canada land POEs. This change in smuggling patterns is evident in seizure data, as more MDMA is being seized at land POEs along the Northern Border than at airport POEs in Newark, New York City, and Miami (see Table 7). Although MDMA seizures in New York are resurging, most seizures are occurring at the Buffalo POE rather than the New York City international airports.

Table 7. MDMA Seizures, in Dosage Units, 2001-2005

Source: Federal-Wide Drug Seizure System.

The primary ODD distribution groups remain unchanged: Little change has occurred over the past several years to the primary groups distributing ODDs. Independent distributors, particularly Caucasian males, are the primary wholesale and retail distributors of LSD and GHB, while African American criminal groups and street gangs are the primary wholesale and retail distributors of PCP. In late 2001, when Israeli groups dominated domestic wholesale distribution of MDMA, Canada-based Asian criminal groups began distributing wholesale quantities of MDMA, primarily in the cities of Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Since that time Asian groups have increased their operational networks, often using the six cities as distribution hubs to supplant the Israeli organizations and become the primary wholesale distributors of MDMA in every region of the country. Retail distribution of MDMA is primarily controlled by young Caucasian males at nightclubs and rave parties, although African American street gangs are actively distributing the drug in some areas as well.

As abuse of most ODDs is declining or stable, MDMA abuse is likely to increase: National drug prevalence studies show very low and declining use of GHB, LSD, and PCP for most measured age groups (see Table 1 and Table 2 in Appendix B). Rates of past year use for MDMA--the most commonly abused ODD--have also declined, sharply in fact, since rates of use peaked in 2001. Nevertheless, a recent significant resurgence in MDMA availability and distribution is likely to be manifested in an increase in rates of MDMA use in the near term.

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Intelligence Gaps

Many drug prevalence and treatment data sets do not delineate data for some ODDs. As a result, objective statistical corroboration of anecdotal reports regarding ODD use is often difficult, and the true extent of use and treatment fluctuations is unclear. 

The level of domestic GHB production is very likely underrepresented in the relatively few GHB laboratory seizures reported to NCLSS, perhaps significantly. GHB is easily converted from GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) without establishing an actual laboratory, and law enforcement officials would often not recognize it as a laboratory without prior intelligence. 

Caribbean-based DTOs (especially Dominican DTOs) are transporting MDMA from Europe to islands in the Caribbean, and its prevalence may be increasing in these areas; however, it is unclear how much of the drug is being consumed locally and how much is subsequently smuggled to the United States. 

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