To
Contents
To Previous Page
To Next Page
To Publications Page
To Home Page
National Drug Intelligence
Center |
Illicit drug production in the Midwest HIDTA region generally entails methamphetamine production, crack cocaine conversion, and cannabis cultivation. Caucasian criminal groups and independent manufacturers are the primary producers of methamphetamine and marijuana, while African American criminal groups and street gangs dominate crack cocaine conversion. Domestic methamphetamine production has decreased substantially in many areas of the Midwest HIDTA (see Figure 2); however, clandestine production continues to represent a significant threat, and law enforcement officials in Iowa and Rapid City, South Dakota, are reporting the use of mobile methamphetamine laboratories by traffickers. Methamphetamine production in the Midwest HIDTA region represents a greater threat to public safety and the environment than all other illicit drug production, and combating production of the drug consumes vast amounts of public resources. In addition to posing safety and environmental hazards, continued methamphetamine production forces local law enforcement agencies to divert funding from battling wholesale- and retail-level distribution organizations to remediate laboratory sites.
Figure 2. Methamphetamine Clandestine Laboratory Seizures, by Midwest HIDTA State, 2003-2007
Source: National Seizure System.
While methamphetamine production has decreased substantially in many areas of the Midwest HIDTA, production continues throughout the HIDTA region. Notably, several counties in Missouri have experienced a resurgence in methamphetamine production following an initial decrease after the passage of precursor control legislation. (See text box for further information.) Law enforcement agencies seized more clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Missouri than in any other state, with 1,258 reported laboratory seizures in 2007.5 Most methamphetamine laboratories seized in Missouri were discovered in the state's southern counties and in the St. Louis metropolitan area. (See Figure 3.) In response to continued methamphetamine production and smurfing, the Missouri General Assembly has introduced a law to modify existing recordkeeping for pseudoephedrine products.6 Among its provisions, the law would replace existing written logbooks with a centralized electronic database.
|
Continuing Methamphetamine Production Despite stringent state precursor chemical control laws, methamphetamine production continues in the HIDTA region because producers still are able to obtain sufficient quantities of pseudoephedrine, albeit with a greater effort. Some state precursor control laws have limited access to pseudoephedrine by listing it as a Schedule V controlled substance, and four Midwest HIDTA states have required sellers to maintain a log book. (See Table 2 for more information on state precursor control legislation.) However, none of the states have a centralized database of the logs, which hampers law enforcement investigative efforts; many law enforcement agencies must visit each pharmacy and manually gather logbook information--a time-consuming practice. Methamphetamine producers exploit this loophole by making multiple purchases of pseudoephedrine at or below the legal limit from various locations, sometimes within numerous jurisdictions (a practice known as smurfing). |
Table 2. Comparison of Pseudoephedrine Control Legislation, by Midwest HIDTA State
| Iowa | Kansas | Missouri | Nebraska | North Dakota | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ephedrine/pseudoephedrine (E/P) products in Schedule V | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Schedule V exemptions/exceptions | Products that are in liquid/gelcap form containing 360 milligrams or less of E/P | Liquids, liquid capsules, and gelcaps | Liquids or liquid-filled gel-capsules; products not used in illegal manufacture | No | No | No |
| Written/electronic log or record of sale kept by seller | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Product sold by pharmacy, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, pharmacy intern, or clerk | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Product sold in pharmacy or any retail establishment | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Product stored in locked case, in area inaccessible to public | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Quantity restrictions | 7,500 mg/30 days | 3 packages/7 days | 9 grams/30 days | 1,440 milligrams/24 hours | 2 packages containing no more than 2 grams of E/P each/single transaction | 2 packages containing E/P as active ingredient/single transaction |
Source: National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws, as of January 2, 2007.
Figure 3. Methamphetamine laboratory seizures in Missouri, 2007.
Source: El Paso Intelligence Center.
Crack cocaine conversion, primarily by African American street gangs, is a significant concern to law enforcement agencies in metropolitan areas such as Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, Sioux Falls, Springfield, Topeka, and Wichita because of crack's association with high levels of violence and property crime. African American street gangs often obtain powder cocaine from Mexican sources and then convert the cocaine into crack for local sales and further distribution. Limited cannabis cultivation--both indoor and outdoor--occurs throughout the Midwest HIDTA, but most of the marijuana available in the HIDTA is produced in Mexico.
To Top To Contents To Previous Page To Next Page
To Publications Page To Home Page
End of page.
