STATE RESIDENTS PAY HIGH PRICE FOR ILLEGAL DRUG ACTIVITY

Most of the law-abiding population remains unaware of the large sums
of money involved in illegal drug transactions. Of course, supply and
demand drives the market.

Users in West Virginia, despite the state being economically
depressed, pay a comparatively high price for illegal drugs.

While prices can vary with purity, potency, amounts purchased,
buyer-seller relationships, transportation costs and proximity to
sources, the following average figures from the Narcotics Digest
special issue on illicit drug prices in the second half of 2003 may be
instructive.

West Virginia dealers pay $24,000 for a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of
powdered cocaine and sell it for $250 to $300 for an eighth of an
ounce or $100 for a gram. With these above-national average prices, a
kilogram could well generate $75,000 in profit.

We rarely see crack cocaine sold wholesale in West Virginia, but
dealers usually pay from $800 to $1,600 an ounce and sell an eighth of
an ounce for $300 to $400 or $20 to $50 for a fourth of a gram. That's
significantly higher than the national average, and generates
approximately $1,500 profit per ounce.

West Virginians are paying a fairly high $300 a gram for heroin, $6 to
$10 for a gram of marijuana or $2 a joint and an above-average $150
per gram of meth.

The argument is often heard that drug use should be a matter of
personal freedom, and limited law enforcement dollars are better spent
elsewhere. I disagree.

Many drug abusers resort to stealing property from others to pay for
their drugs; property crimes increase dramatically when drug crimes
are ignored. Further, health problems, lost work, unemployment and
vehicle accidents among drug abusers are much higher than in the
law-abiding population.

We also note a very high correlation between drug use and domestic
abuse, and domestic abuse is reduced as drug abuse is reduced.
Further, a huge amount of untaxed money is leaving the state's economy
with drug dealers, a situation lessened by a continuing fight against
illegal drugs.

We are aware of extensive drugs-for-guns trading networks to bring
drugs to the state and supply firearms to large city criminals; the
fight against drugs is also a fight against illegal firearms.

Virtually every drug bust has a greatly multiplying, beneficial effect
on future drug abuse, theft crimes, public health, family health, the
local economy and public safety.

I commend our multi-jurisdictional drug task force officers for the
dangerous work they do in fighting drug abuse, and, therefore
wide-ranging crime; they are our unsung heroes.