Via CNN: Cost of cocaine rises in United States
Cocaine is becoming more expensive on U.S. streets in a sign that a $3 billion aid program to Colombia is finally bringing results and reducing illegal drug imports, the White House drug czar said on Thursday.The price of cocaine on U.S. streets rose by 19 percent from February to September, hitting about $170 per pure gram, according to data published by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
That is a significant price increase, to be sure. And certainly it has been a while in coming–despite a great deal of money spent on crop eradication there has not be a substantial increase in the street price until now.
Of course, the piercing irony is that as price increases, the profit motive will induce producers to obtain more product to capitalize on price, and with more supply, price will likely go down.
We shall see. It is possible, altough unlikely, that this price increase will drive enough customers away to make the pushers find another line of work.
Of course, as it stands, even if sales decrease by 19%, they will be making the same amount of money as they were before, and with less work.
Hey! Maybe Congress should hold hearing on price gouging by cocaine dealers!
November 17th, 2025 at 10:29 pm
Though maybe it is because of increases non-coca raw material prices, as well as distribution cost increases in the US. Fuel costs have gone up so it is possible.
That said maybe what we need to do is jackup the price of labor in Columbia. Or boost the Columbia exchange rate 20 fold. Make the Columbian coca producers uncompetitive and starve them of revenue needed to conduct their war, allowing the Columbian government (with aid and special trading priviledges as their other exports will collapse as well) .
November 17th, 2025 at 10:30 pm
allowing the Columbian government to regain control over the areas used by FARC and others.
December 30th, 2025 at 2:52 pm
[...] nse Minister Camilo Ospina told reporters. Couple this with, as the story also mentions, increases in the street price of cocaine this year and one will get a great deal of crowing from Washington ov [...]
February 7th, 2025 at 4:50 pm
[...] be raise in price as the effects of the supply constrictions filters through–indeed, there is some evidence to suggest that this is case. Although, as I have noted before, the evidence appears m [...]
April 16th, 2025 at 4:49 pm
[...] de plus, during which we have spent more money than ever for eradication. And while there was an uptick in price this past year, it still puts us about where we were when we started the current cycle [...]
September 13th, 2025 at 2:01 pm
you guys are off on your prices