Cocaine

Cocaine, both powdered and crack, is a significant drug threat to Ohio. The level of cocaine abuse in the state is relatively high. According the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) Multi-Agency Community Services Information System (MACSIS), there were 11,023 cocaine-related treatment admissions in state fiscal year (SFY) 2001 (July 1 through June 30), a slight decrease from SFY2000 when there were 11,156 cocaine-related treatment admissions. Despite this decrease, cocaine abuse remains the second leading cause of treatment admissions for substance abuse among adults in the state. (See Table 1.) According to the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, 38 percent of adult male arrestees in Cleveland tested positive for cocaine in 2000. 

Table 1. Primary Drug Treatment Admissions, Ohio, SFY2000-SFY2001

Source: Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS).

Powdered cocaine is readily available throughout the state; crack is primarily available in urban areas including Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron-Canton, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati. Prices for powdered cocaine and crack cocaine in Ohio are stable. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division, powdered cocaine in Ohio sold for $18,000 to $32,000 per kilogram, $800 to $1,400 per ounce, and $100 per gram in the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2002. Crack cocaine sold for $800 to $1,500 per ounce and $5 to $25 per rock during that time. According to the Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS), cocaine seizures by federal law enforcement officials in Ohio increased from 121.5 kilograms in 2000 to 343.2 kilograms in 2001.

Mexican and Dominican criminal groups are the primary transporters of powdered cocaine into Ohio. Jamaican and Cuban criminal groups also transport powdered cocaine into the state, but to a lesser extent. Mexican criminal groups transport multikilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico through southwestern states and Chicago using commercial and private vehicles. They often intermingle cocaine with legitimate cargo or place the drug inside hidden compartments. Dominican criminal groups transport cocaine into Ohio from the New York City area. Jamaican criminal groups transport cocaine from California, Florida, New York, and New Jersey, generally using young females as couriers. Cuban criminal groups transport powdered cocaine from southern Florida into Ohio. Crack cocaine typically is not transported into the state but is converted from powdered cocaine at or near the point of sale.

Wholesale cocaine distribution is not dominated by any particular criminal group, but is conducted by a variety of criminal groups throughout the state. Wholesale distributors use major cities in Ohio, particularly Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and Cincinnati, as distribution centers for smaller cities in and outside the state. Mexican, Dominican, Jamaican, and Cuban criminal groups and various national and local street gangs supply multikilogram quantities of cocaine to Cleveland. These groups, as well as Caucasian, Colombian, and local independent groups supply wholesale quantities of cocaine to Columbus. African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic criminal groups distribute multiounce quantities of cocaine in Toledo. Retail cocaine distribution is controlled largely by street gangs, ethnic criminal groups--primarily Mexican, Puerto Rican, and African American--and local independent dealers. Retail sales of powdered cocaine and crack cocaine generally take place at open-air markets, public housing projects, and private residences.

Cocaine, particularly crack, is the drug most often associated with violent crime in Ohio. Law enforcement officials across the state report that retail distributors frequently carry firearms and have committed drive-by shootings, assaults, and murders.

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