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National Drug Intelligence Center |
The threat posed by the trafficking and abuse of ice methamphetamine will not diminish in the near term and will remain the most significant drug threat to the Hawaii HIDTA region. Mexican DTOs and criminal groups have established their presence in the area and will further capitalize on the primary drug markets within the HIDTA region. Hawaii has strategic drug trafficking and marketing significance for Mexican DTOs because it provides a gateway to other markets in the Pacific Basin. Local methamphetamine production is uncommon and does not constitute a significant threat to the region at this time, largely as a result of successful regulatory efforts to control the sale of precursor chemicals and the ability of Mexican traffickers to meet local demand for the drug.
The Hawaii HIDTA will remain one of the most significant cannabis cultivation and marijuana production areas in the nation. The demand for high-potency marijuana in the region is increasing, and there are no indications that this will change over the next year. To meet rising demand, independent suppliers and criminal groups will establish larger, more sophisticated, indoor cannabis cultivation operations in the region to capitalize on greater profit margins associated with higher-potency marijuana. Additionally, criminal groups and local independent dealers will continue to support market demands by importing high-potency marijuana from Canada and the West Coast of the United States. Illegal cannabis cultivators will increasingly exploit state medicinal marijuana laws and expand their large-scale cultivation operations.
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