Drug Prices Rise As Supply Dries Up

[Oz]

The price of illicit drugs has soared since drug house legislation was introduced, police said last night.

 

The laws have hit the price of cannabis the hardest.

 

A pound (0.45kg) of cannabis has risen from about $3800 to about $4500 in the past few months.

 

Drug squad boss Senior Sergeant Les Martin said the rise suggested the availability of the drug in the Territory had been reduced.

 

He said several pro-active drug squad operations, and increased powers that the drug house laws had given police, were in part responsible.

 

"Just recently there's been an increase in the price of cannabis in bulk amounts of $500 to $1000 a pound," Sen-Sgt Martin said.

 

"It means that supply might be down.

 

"We're finding the legislation is quite successful."

 

The NT Drug Trend 2003 report released last week found that 20 per cent of drug users surveyed were finding cannabis "difficult" to obtain, and only 43 per cent of users surveyed in 2003 said it was "very easy" to obtain -- down from 72 per cent in 2001.

 

The survey also showed a greater reliance on friends to supply users with drugs -- rather than dealers.

 

Sixty per cent of users surveyed in 2001 went to street dealers or their dealer's home for their regular source of cannabis.

 

In the latest survey, that was down to 34 per cent.

 

The number of users turning to a network of friends to get the drug had almost doubled from 23 per cent in 2001 to 42 per cent in 2003.

 

Since the laws were introduced in August 2002, there have been 83 first drug house notices, 10 second notices, and five third notices issued on residential properties across the Territory.

 

Only two properties -- at Alice Springs and Darwin -- have been declared Drug Houses under the Act.

 

Drugs seized from properties where drug notices were issued were valued at $386,490 and included more than 415g of amphetamines, 41 cannabis plants and 48 tabs of LSD.

 

By Rebecca Hewett

Source: Northern Territory News

Date: 03 May 2004

[LongFingers]

Wow, what does having the drug house label enable the cops to do?? Can they just walk in from then on with any reason???

A lot of dope was coming up from Adelaide too, is it really that dry??

 

whats the go, are they getting greedy up there?? Or is it just dry around town...

 

I know Alice Springs is always dry, but usually someones got the bush weed going up in Darwin somewhere.....

 

Cheers and stay cool

LF

Edited May 4, 2004 by OldmanMozz

[Luke Skywalker]

I think it means the police can enter at will without a search warrant, and a large sign is placed out the front of the premesis.

 

It's stupid. If the heightening of drug prices is effective in reducing drug use, then surely it would have worked after 60-70 years of consistent rises in prices?

 

It's demand and supply baby. People WANT to use drugs. Gee, I wonder why...

 

Maybe cos they have to deal with dickhead prohibitionists who wouldn't know a recreational drug if they drank it every evening... oh yeah, that's right, they do... ::

[LongFingers]

A couple of old mates up in the Territory were saying that it was on the spot fines for a certain weight, I s'pose they still would use the old 'traffickable' and 'commercial' quantities systems up there, but I thought it had been de-criminalised.... Ridiculous prices.....I remember when 2800 an elbow was high up there (local shit though) Southern stuff was much more expensive.

It all sucks, what the fuck is the harm with it, no armed robberys from us to score a 50 bag is there? You don't step on bongs and get A.I.D.S. on the beach do ya???

 

Like others have said, why don't they put their resources and funding into something like lowering the road toll or catching real criminals lilke the house breakers and rapists and shit??

 

Fucken idiots, imagine having getting busted for some piddly amount then having your house labelled like you had leprosy or something, only to have the cops bust in and turn the place upside down every couple of months without a warrant...

 

THe bastards smoke it themselves anyways.........