U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Ohio HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
April 2010

Drug Threat Overview

The distribution and abuse of cocaine pose the greatest drug threat to the Ohio HIDTA region; however, heroin is expected to surpass cocaine as the greatest drug threat in the near term as a result of increasing availability and abuse of Mexican heroin. Cocaine continues to pose a greater threat than heroin because of crack cocaine's association with violent crime, particularly in the more densely populated urban areas of the region. (See Figure 4.) According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 2010, 30 of the 101 state and local law enforcement respondents in the region identify either powder or crack cocaine as the drug that poses the greatest threat to their jurisdictions, and 42 of the 101 report heroin as the greatest drug threat. (See Figure 2.) Marijuana and CPDs are widely available and abused. These and other drugs with limited availability, such as MDMA and methamphetamine, pose much lesser threats to the region than cocaine and heroin. Significant amounts of illicit drugs are seized annually in the HIDTA region by law enforcement officials through Ohio HIDTA initiatives. (See Table 1.)

Figure 2. Greatest Drug Threat to the Ohio HIDTA Region, as Reported by State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, by Number of Respondentsc
 

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Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2010

Table 1. Illicit Drugs Seized Through Ohio HIDTA Initiatives, in Kilograms, 2009

Source: Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
* Dosage units.
** Includes only federally scheduled drugs.

Cocaine availability has decreased in some areas of the region, resulting in higher wholesale prices. For example, law enforcement officials in Hamilton, Mahoning, and Warren Counties report that cocaine was less available, and officials in Stark County report that cocaine was being distributed at the wholesale level in smaller quantities in 2009. Wholesale cocaine prices have increased in many areas of the HIDTA region. For example, investigators with the Southwest Ohio Drug Task Force report that in Warren County, wholesale cocaine prices increased from $25,000 to $30,000 per kilogram to $35,000 to $40,000 per kilogram in early 2009.

The availability of Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin has increased throughout much of the HIDTA region. Consequently, the price of heroin has decreased in some areas such as Columbus, where a kilogram of black tar heroin fell from a high of $50,000 in 2008 to $33,000 in 2009. South American (SA) heroin remains available in limited quantities in the region, primarily in the northeastern counties of Ohio.

Indoor marijuana production is increasing in some areas of the HIDTA region, including Fairfield, Lucas, and Summit Counties. Most of the marijuana available and abused in the HIDTA region is commercial-grade Mexican marijuana. Locally produced marijuana also is readily available throughout the HIDTA region, and Canadian high-potency marijuana is primarily available in northern Ohio.

CPDs are widely abused throughout the HIDTA region, and prescription opioid abuse has contributed to increased overdose deaths throughout the state. CPDs are typically obtained within the HIDTA region through doctor-shopping, prescription forgery, theft, and unscrupulous physicians.

The availability and abuse of other drugs, including MDMA, methamphetamine, PCP (phencyclidine), and khat, vary throughout the region. MDMA is generally available in urban areas and typically is transported by Asian DTOs from Canada to markets in northern Ohio. The availability and abuse of methamphetamine remain low in the HIDTA region. Most of the available methamphetamine is produced locally, while Mexican methamphetamine is occasionally available in small quantities. PCP is available principally in Cleveland, while Somali traffickers supply khat primarily in Columbus.

Footnote

c. NDTS data for 2010 cited in this report are as of March 3, 2010. NDTS data cited are raw, unweighted responses from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies solicited through either NDIC or the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) HIDTA program. Data cited may include responses from agencies that are part of the NDTS 2010 national sample and/or agencies that are part of HIDTA solicitation lists.

UNCLASSIFIED

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