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U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Rocky Mountain HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
June 2010
Methamphetamine distribution and abuse are the greatest drug threats to the Rocky Mountain HIDTA region. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 2010,b 71 of the 96 federal, state, and local law enforcement respondents in the Rocky Mountain HIDTA identify methamphetamine as the drug that poses the greatest threat to their jurisdictions. (See Table A1 in Appendix A.) The availability of Mexican methamphetamine is high, as evidenced by high seizures and declining wholesale prices. HIDTA initiatives seized approximately 340 pounds of methamphetamine in 2009, a slight increase over 2008. Concurrently, the wholesale price for Mexican methamphetamine declined from $19,000 to $20,000 per pound in 2008 to $12,000 to $20,000 per pound in 2009. Local methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the region are also declining, in part because of the region's precursor chemical laws, which explains the rise in the availability of Mexican methamphetamine to meet local demand for the drug.
Outdoor marijuana cultivation is widespread throughout the region, primarily on public lands in Utah and Colorado. According to law enforcement officials, this situation resulted from a combination of high abuse levels and the exploitation of state medicinal marijuana laws by illegal cannabis cultivators and drug traffickers. Law enforcement eradicated 119,521 plants from national forests in 2009, compared with 44,668 plants in 2008--a 168 percent increase.
Law enforcement reporting indicates that indoor cannabis cultivation is increasing in the HIDTA region, particularly in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, to meet the rising demand for high-potency marijuana and earn the higher profits associated with the more potent form of the drug. According to HIDTA officials, the number of cannabis plants eradicated from indoor grow sites increased slightly from 2005 (5,628 plants) to 2009 (6,840 plants). High-potency marijuana sold for $250 to $500 per ounce at the retail level in Salt Lake City, compared with Mexican commercial-grade marijuana that sold for $60 to $100 per ounce in 2009.
Cocaine availability has increased in some areas of the region, as evidenced by lower wholesale prices and increased seizures. Wholesale-level cocaine prices in Denver decreased from $17,500 to $27,000 per kilogram at the end of 2008 to $18,000 to $22,000 per kilogram during the first half of 2009. Law enforcement reporting indicates that cocaine availability increased in Longmont, Colorado, and Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah. Seizures of cocaine associated with HIDTA initiatives increased 11 percent from 2006 (390 kg) to 2009 (433 kg).
CPDs are readily available and abused throughout the region. NDTS 2010 data show that 84 of the 96 law enforcement agency respondents in the HIDTA region report that CPDs are available at high to moderate levels in their jurisdictions. The most commonly abused CPDs are opioid pain relievers, primarily oxycodone and hydrocodone. CPD abuse is a significant problem in Utah, particularly in Salt Lake City, which has one of the highest prescription drug abuse rates in the nation, according to the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Admissions to the public treatment system for prescription drug abuse increased from 5 percent of all treatment admissions in 2006 to 8 percent in 2009. This increase is due in part to rising oxycodone/hydrocodone admissions, which have been trending upward since 2006.
The availability of and demand for Mexican black tar heroin have increased since 2008, primarily among teens and young adults, who are switching from prescription opioids to black tar heroin, which is often cheaper and more available. Law enforcement and public health professionals report that heroin distribution and abuse levels are increasing in metropolitan areas of the Rocky Mountain HIDTA region, primarily Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Denver. Abusers find heroin readily available, as evidenced by heroin seizure totals in the region, which increased from almost 11 kilograms in 2008 to 25 kilograms in 2009. Wholesale-level Mexican black tar heroin prices in Denver remained unchanged from 2008, at $25,000 to $29,000 per kilogram.
b. 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 either through 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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