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Drug Situation:The primary drug threat in Ohio is powder and crack cocaine. The most violent crimes in the state are attributed to its distribution and abuse. Also, the rising availability of high-purity, low cost heroin is creating a large user population with a greater physical risk to users, who are younger than ever before. In the northern Ohio region, South American (Colombian) and Mexican black tar heroin are prevalent, while in the southern Ohio region, Mexican black tar heroin is predominant; Mexican brown powder heroin also appears in both regions. Marijuana remains the most abused drug in the state. Ohio is a source area for marijuana cultivation, as well as a distribution point for Mexican marijuana from the southwest border. Club drugs and MDMA (ecstasy) are also growing in popularity in urban areas. Local methamphetamine manufacturing has stabilized as the Mexican meth supply increases. Meth abuse, while increasing, has not yet reached the levels of other states in the Midwest.

Cocaine: Cocaine HCl and crack combined constitute the greatest drug threat in Ohio. Cocaine is transported into Ohio from the Southwest border, including California, Arizona and Texas, as well as from Miami, Florida and New York City. Detroit, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois serve as transshipment points and distribution centers for cocaine shipped from the Southwest border and transported throughout Ohio. Mexican criminal groups and to a lesser extent other ethnic criminal groups are the principal transporters and wholesale distributors of multi-kilogram quantities of powdered cocaine in Ohio. Gram quantities sell at an average of $110, ounce quantities at $800 -$1400 and kilograms at $23,400. Average purity for cocaine HCl is 63% and crack cocaine is 75%. The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services data shows the number of treatment admissions for cocaine abuse for 2006 was 11,600.

Heroin: Heroin distribution and abuse are increasing in Ohio. Heroin signature analysis indicates that South American and Mexican black tar are prevalent in the northern Ohio region. In the southern Ohio region Mexican black tar heroin is predominant. Dominican criminal groups control the distribution of South American heroin, while Mexican criminal groups control the distribution of Mexican black tar heroin. At the retail-level, African-American, Dominican, and Mexican criminal groups are involved in heroin distribution. Heroin is shipped into Ohio from major distribution centers such as Chicago, Detroit, New York and various cities along the Southwest border. Heroin is also transported on commercial airline flights into Ohio. Wholesalers use major Ohio cities such as Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo as distribution centers for smaller cities in and outside the state. Gram quantities sell between $140-$250, ounce quantities at $2400-$7000, and kilogram quantities at $68,000. The average purity for heroin is 52%. The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services data indicates the number of treatment admissions for heroin abuse increased overall from 6,878 in 2002 to 7,416 in 2003 to 8,852 in 2006.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine manufacturing has stabilized due to recent pseudoephedrine sales restrictions at Ohio pharmacies; but abuse is increasing in the state of Ohio. Mexican criminal groups are now the largest supplier, but local independent criminal groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) are also responsible for transporting and distributing methamphetamine throughout Ohio. Methamphetamine is also shipped into Ohio, predominantly through mail and package delivery services. Purity levels range from 7.4 to 100 percent.

Club Drugs: The use of Club Drugs such as Ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, Ketamine and LSD has steadily increased in Ohio. Club Drugs are growing in popularity among young adults and juveniles, particularly in most urban areas of the state, although “rave” parties are not as popular as in the past. MDMA is the club drug of choice and competes with methamphetamine as the greatest future threat to Ohio’s youth. Most MDMA available in Ohio is produced outside the United States, typically in laboratories in the Netherlands and Belgium and transported through express mail services and by couriers on commercial airlines through distribution centers such as Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. MDMA also reaches Ohio from Canada through New York and is transported via the interstate highways and public modes of transportation. Most traffickers of MDMA are loosely-knit independent entrepreneurs. Retail dealers typically are suburban teenagers that are high school or college students. The pills are sold at an average of $19 per pill.

Marijuana: Marijuana continues to be the most widely abused and readily available illicit drug throughout the state of Ohio. The available supply of marijuana ranges from pound to multi-hundred pound quantities. The rural areas of Ohio provide an adequate environment for the outdoor cultivation of cannabis, most of which occurs in the southern part of the state. In northern Ohio, the use of hydroponics and other sophisticated indoor growing techniques that produce sinsemilla with a high THC content continues to increase. Mexican marijuana is the most commonly seized in the state of Ohio. The marijuana is shipped from the Southwest Border States. Large quantities are shipped into Ohio mainly overland and smaller quantities through package delivery services and the mail. Mexican criminal groups are the dominant wholesale suppliers of marijuana in Ohio. They supply multi-hundred kilogram quantities of marijuana to most districts throughout the state. Local independent criminal groups also are responsible for shipping and distributing wholesale amounts of marijuana into Ohio in multi-kilogram quantities. Ounce quantities of marijuana sell between $100-$250, pound quantities for $800-$4000 and kilogram quantities for $3,125. The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services data indicates that the number of treatment admissions for marijuana abuse increased from 17,896 in 2002 to 18,893 in 2006.

Other Drugs: The diversion and abuse of OxyContin represent a significant drug threat in Ohio. OxyContin, a powerful pain reliever whose effects are the same as other opiate derivatives, is obtained legally through prescriptions as well as illegally on the street. Formerly seen as a drug of abuse primarily among the Caucasian population, law enforcement officials in Ohio report increasing abuse among African Americans. According to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, youth abusers of OxyContin have begun abusing heroin since they can no longer obtain or afford OxyContin. Continued incidents of overdoses and drug-related deaths were reported throughout the state during 2006. Also, a direct connection between abuse of this drug and drug-related robberies has been established.

Pharmaceutical Diversion: Current investigations indicate that diversion of oxycodone products (such as OxyContin®) and hydrocodone products continues to be a problem in Ohio. Primary methods of diversion being reported are illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers, and “doctor shopping”. Benzodiazepines such as the brand names Valium® and Xanax® and the generic equivalent of alprazolam were also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in Ohio. Then recent implementation of restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine in Ohio pharmacies appears to have reduced the diversion of this methamphetamine precursor.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. Since the inception of the MET Program, there have been seven MET deployments in the State of Ohio; Toledo, Cleveland, East Cleveland, Jefferson County, Lincoln Heights, Warren, Youngstown and Steubenville.

DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests. There have been no RET deployments in the State of Ohio.

Special Topics: HIDTA: During June 1999, ONDCP designated areas within northern Ohio as the Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (Ohio HIDTA). The HIDTA region was expanded during 2004 to include central and southern Ohio counties. The Ohio HIDTA is comprised of the Ohio counties; Cuyahoga, Lucas, Mahoning, Stark, Summit, Fairfield, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Warren and Montgomery. Currently the following agencies are assigned responsibilities in the Ohio HIDTA program: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigations, and other local police departments and law enforcement agencies.

More information about the Detroit Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 6/2007