Marijuana

Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly abused illicit drug in Pennsylvania. However, the drug generally is regarded as a lower threat than heroin or cocaine because it is less often associated with violent crime or property crime. According to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs, the number of marijuana/hashish-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities increased slightly from 9,712 in SFY2001 to 10,052 in SFY2002. DAWN ED data indicate that the number of marijuana-related mentions in the Philadelphia metropolitan area increased from 4,928 in 2000 to 5,496 in 2001 to 6,787 in 2002. The rate of marijuana-related ED mentions per 100,000 population in the Philadelphia metropolitan area (150) was the highest in the nation and significantly higher than the rate nationwide (47) in 2002. According to ADAM data, 43 percent of adult male arrestees in Philadelphia tested positive for marijuana in 2001. According to combined data from the 1999 and the 2000 NHSDA, the percentage of Pennsylvania residents who reported having abused marijuana in the past month (4.5%) was comparable to the percentage nationwide (4.8%). The 2001 YRBS data indicate that 42.7 percent of high school students surveyed in Philadelphia reported having abused marijuana in their lifetime, compared to 42.4 percent nationwide.

Marijuana is the most widely available illicit drug in Pennsylvania. According to the NDTS 2002, 98 of the 99 law enforcement respondents in Pennsylvania reported the availability of marijuana as medium or high. Most of the marijuana available in the state is produced in Mexico; however, significant quantities of locally produced marijuana and marijuana produced in other states, as well as marijuana produced in Canada and Jamaica, also are available. According to FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania seized 1,567.5 kilograms of marijuana in 2002, a significant increase from the 377.3 kilograms seized in 2001. USSC data indicate that the percentage of drug-related federal sentences in the state that involved marijuana (12.9%) was lower than the national percentage (32.8%) in FY2001. Marijuana available in Pennsylvania sold for $3,000 to $4,000 per kilogram, $500 to $2,000 per pound, $80 to $225 per ounce, and $5 to $35 per bag in the second quarter of FY2003, according to the DEA Philadelphia Division.

Jamaican and Mexican criminal groups are the primary transporters of marijuana into Pennsylvania. African American, Caucasian, and Puerto Rican criminal groups and local independent dealers; street gangs; and OMGs also transport marijuana into Pennsylvania, although to a lesser extent. Marijuana is transported into the state primarily via private and commercial vehicles from Arizona, California, Texas, and Mexico, among other areas. Marijuana also is transported into the state via rental vehicles; by couriers aboard commercial aircraft, buses, and trains; by package delivery services; and occasionally by maritime vessels.

Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers are the primary cultivators of cannabis in Pennsylvania. Mexican criminal groups; Mexican, Puerto Rican, and African American local independent dealers; OMGs such as Pagan's; and street gangs such as Hoovers, a local street gang based in Trainer, also cultivate cannabis in Pennsylvania, although to a much lesser extent. Cannabis is grown both outdoors and indoors in Pennsylvania. Most outdoor cultivation occurs in the northwestern part of the state, particularly in Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, and Warren Counties. Cannabis increasingly is cultivated in remote areas to avoid detection. Some growers are using private farmland, typically owned by others, or public lands to avoid property seizures and forfeitures. According to DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program data, 6,508 cannabis plants were eradicated from 359 outdoor grow sites in 2002. In addition, a total of 800 cannabis plants were eradicated from 79 indoor grow sites during that year.

Jamaican and Mexican criminal groups are the primary wholesale-level marijuana distributors in Pennsylvania. African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic criminal groups and local independent dealers also distribute marijuana at the wholesale level, albeit to a lesser extent. African American, Caucasian, Jamaican, and Puerto Rican criminal groups and local independent dealers; OMGs such as Pagan's; and street gangs such as Hoovers distribute marijuana at the retail level in the state. Marijuana distributed at the retail level typically is packaged in small plastic or glassine bags or sold as joints (marijuana cigarettes). Retail-level marijuana distribution occurs at open-air drug markets, from private residences, hotel rooms, and bars, and in public parking areas at malls and shopping centers.

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