Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine poses a low threat to Maine. According the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, methamphetamine-related treatment admissions decreased from 30 in SFY2000 to 20 in SFY2002. (See Table 1 in Overview section.) According to the 2002 MYDAUS, 2.5 percent of twelfth grade students in Maine reported having abused stimulants--which the survey defined as "amphetamines, meth, crystal, or crank"--in the past month.

Methamphetamine availability in Maine is low. Of the 38 law enforcement respondents to the NDTS 2002 in Maine who rated the level of methamphetamine availability in their jurisdictions, 30 reported that availability was low, and 8 reported that availability was medium. MDEA seized 49 grams of methamphetamine and reported only three methamphetamine-related arrests in FY2002. USSC data indicate that 1.5 percent of drug-related federal sentences in Maine were methamphetamine-related in FY2001, compared with 14.2 percent nationwide. The methamphetamine available in the state typically is transported from California, southwestern states, Boston, and New York City via private vehicles and package delivery services. Lesser quantities of the drug are produced locally. In the past year, local law enforcement officials have seized four methamphetamine laboratories in Maine.

Local independent dealers and OMGs are the primary distributors of methamphetamine in Maine. According to the DEA Portland Resident Office, methamphetamine sold for $70 to $300 per gram in the first quarter of FY2003.

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