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U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Ohio HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
April 2010
Local indoor marijuana production is increasing in parts of the HIDTA region, including Fairfield, Lucas, and Summit Counties, according to anecdotal law enforcement reporting. As a result of increased demand for high-potency marijuana, most indoor cannabis grow operators in the HIDTA region use hydroponic equipment and techniques for watering, ventilation, and lighting to support the production of high-potency marijuana. (See text box.) Independent Caucasian producers conduct most indoor cultivation in the HIDTA region, typically in private residences, and in other locations such as outbuildings and warehouses. For example, law enforcement officials in Cleveland report that most indoor grows in their jurisdiction are located in warehouses. Outdoor marijuana production also takes place in the HIDTA region to a limited extent, particularly in rural areas. Outdoor cannabis grow site operators occasionally use techniques designed to prevent detection by law enforcement, including planting several small plots rather than a single large site.
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Rotary Garden Machine Seized From Youngstown Indoor Grow Operation On January 6, 2010, officials with the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant on a private residence in Youngstown where the entire second floor of the residence was used solely for operating an indoor cannabis grow operation. A total of 255 cannabis plants were seized at the residence, along with a machine that contained approximately 140 of the seized plants. It was determined that the machine was a rotary garden machine, capable of holding 300 plants when filled to capacity. The entire cylinder of the machine rotated hourly, keeping the plants exposed to a high-intensity light source and fertilized water, producing high-potency marijuana.
Rotary garden machine
Interior of machine
 Source: Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force. |
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One-Pot, or "Shake and Bake," Methamphetamine Production A one-pot cook is actually a variation of the anhydrous ammonia method of production; however, in the one-pot method, cooks use a combination of commonly available chemicals to synthesize the anhydrous ammonia essential for methamphetamine production. In doing so, they are able to produce the drug in approximately 30 minutes at nearly any location by mixing ingredients in easily found containers, such as a 2-liter plastic soda bottle, as opposed to using other methods that require hours to heat ingredients on a stove, a process that could result in toxic fumes, primarily from the anhydrous ammonia. Producers often use the one-pot cook while traveling in vehicles and dispose of waste components along roadsides. Discarded plastic bottles may carry residual chemicals that can be toxic, explosive, or flammable. |
Local small-scale methamphetamine production for personal use or distribution to a small network of individuals is rising in the HIDTA region. The number of methamphetamine laboratories seized by law enforcement officials in the HIDTA region increased approximately 41 percent from 2008 (39) to 2009 (55). (See Table 3.) This rise in laboratory seizures is attributed to increased use of the "one-pot" production method, a variation of the "Shake and Bake" method (see text box above), and to pseudoephedrine smurfing. Pseudoephedrine obtained through smurfing throughout the HIDTA region is typically sold to local methamphetamine producers for cash. In Fairfield County, pseudoephedrine is used as a form of payment for locally produced methamphetamine.
Table 3. Methamphetamine Laboratory Seizures, by County, Ohio HIDTA, 2005-2009
| County | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Fairfield | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Franklin | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Greene | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Hamilton | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Lucas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mahoning | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Montgomery | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Stark | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Summit | 41 | 38 | 27 | 31 | 41 |
| Warren | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| HIDTA Total | 69 | 52 | 35 | 39 | 55 |
Source: National Seizure System, data run February 8, 2010.
Mexican DTOs are the principal transporters of wholesale quantities of cocaine, marijuana, Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin, and limited amounts of Mexican methamphetamine to the HIDTA region. These traffickers primarily use interstate highways to transport illicit drugs from distribution centers along the Southwest Border, such as Brownsville, Dallas, and Houston, Texas; Los Angeles and San Diego, California; and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. (See Figure 3.) Mexican DTOs also transport illicit drugs to the HIDTA region from Chicago and Detroit. Mexican DTOs and various other traffickers also transport smaller amounts of illicit drugs into the HIDTA region, using couriers on commercial flights (cocaine, heroin, CPDs), couriers traveling on commercial buses who often secrete the drugs in their luggage (heroin and marijuana), and package delivery services (marijuana, MDMA, CPDs, cocaine, heroin, and khat).
Figure 3. Ohio HIDTA Region Transportation Infrastructure
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