Marijuana

Marijuana is the most widely abused illicit drug in Maine; however, the drug generally is considered a lesser threat than heroin, diverted pharmaceuticals, and cocaine because it is less often associated with violent crime or property crime. The Maine Office of Substance Abuse reports that marijuana-related treatment admissions in the state increased from 1,251 in SFY2000 to 1,596 in SFY2002, more than for any other illicit drug during those years. (See Table 1 in Overview section.) According to the 2002 MYDAUS, 29 percent of twelfth grade students in Maine reported having abused marijuana in the past month. Further, combined data from the 1999 and the 2000 NHSDA indicate that 6 percent of the respondents in Maine reported having abused marijuana in the past month, compared with 4.8 percent nationwide.

Marijuana is the most readily available illicit drug in Maine. Thirty-six of the 42 law enforcement respondents to the NDTS 2002 in Maine reported the availability of marijuana as high, while the remaining six respondents reported it as medium. According to MDEA, state and local drug task force officials seized 202 kilograms of marijuana in FY2002. Marijuana-related arrests (109) accounted for 21 percent of MDEA arrests (520) in FY2002. USSC data indicate that 32.4 percent of drug-related federal sentences in Maine were marijuana-related in FY2001, compared to 32.8 percent nationwide.

Most of the marijuana available in Maine is produced in Mexico; however, locally produced marijuana and high-grade marijuana produced in Canada also are available. According to the DEA Portland Resident Office, commercial-grade marijuana sold for $1,000 to $1,600 per pound, $125 to $175 per ounce, and $3 to $5 per joint in the first quarter of FY2003. High-grade marijuana sold for $1,800 to $2,000 per pound, $255 to $500 per ounce, and $2 to $5 per joint during that same period.

Cannabis is cultivated both outdoors and indoors in Maine. Caucasian criminal groups, local independent dealers, and abusers are the primary cannabis cultivators in the state. Data provided by the Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program, jointly sponsored by the DEA and MDEA, indicate that law enforcement officials in Maine eradicated 9,314 cannabis plants from outdoor grow sites and 1,722 cannabis plants from indoor grow sites in 2001, the most recent year for which data are available.

Caucasian criminal groups, local independent dealers, and OMGs are the primary transporters of marijuana into Maine. These groups, dealers, and OMGs transport the drug from southwestern states, Massachusetts, and Canada primarily via private and commercial vehicles and package delivery services. Canada-produced marijuana also is smuggled across the U.S.-Canada border into Maine by couriers on foot, snowmobiles, or ATVs. Upon entering the United States, the couriers usually rendezvous with coconspirators who transport the drug to its final destination via private vehicles.

Caucasian criminal groups, local independent dealers, and OMGs dominate wholesale- and retail-level marijuana distribution in Maine. Retail quantities usually are sold as joints and distributed from various locations throughout the state, including bars, nightclubs, apartments, and parking lots.

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