Avellon Williams
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO- Among all drugs seized in the Americas, including the Caribbean, marijuana remains the most frequently seized drug by weight, according to a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS).
“The volume by weight of cannabis seizures between 2016 and 2020 fell dramatically in North America, remained stable in the Caribbean and Central America, and increased substantially in South America,” according to the “Report on Drug Supply in the Americas 2022.”
According to the evidence-based report on drug supply in the Americas, trends and issues of concern to policymakers and the general public have increased from 2016 to 2020, with South America reporting more cocaine seizures than any other region.
It noted that countries producing coca-based drugs “noted efforts to increase yield through changes in cultivation practices, processing, and the use of longer-lived varieties of coca.
“Approximately two-thirds of heroin trafficking occurs within the region, and most of it goes to markets in North America,” according to the report, which was prepared over a period of two years by the OAS’s consultative and advisory body, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (ES-CICAD).
This report contains statistics on drug supply from 30 OAS member-states and presents trends in eradication, drug seizures, laboratory seizures, and arrests for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl, and other synthetic opioids, methamphetamine, and other stimulants of this type.
According to the OAS, one of the main findings of its report is that the primary drug of concern varies by country, reflecting the variety of illegal drug supplies across the region.
“Opioids, particularly fentanyl, are the most common drugs of concern in some countries, whereas cocaine is the most common in others. Drugs such as methamphetamine are a major problem in other countries.
“In North America, fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit pills are contributing to rising overdose deaths, including a steady decline in the price of fentanyl and mixes of fentanyl with other drugs.
“North America produced more methamphetamine than any other subregion,” the report states, noting that wholesale drug prices were lower than retail prices with the exception of smokable cocaine.
In terms of cocaine, the report notes that the median price per gram at retail is US$14.15, while at wholesale it is US$9.99. However, smokable cocaine has a median retail price of US$4.20 and a wholesale price of US$9.04 per gram.
The report states that male arrests for all drugs are higher than female arrests in the Americas, while the proportional difference between male and female arrests remains stable.
