Mass incarceration leaves a heavy burden on both the federal and state government’s budgets. The Prison Policy Initiative, a think tank and criminal justice advocacy group, found that 1 in 5 currently incarcerated people in the U.S. are locked up for a drug offense. The same research estimates that it costs an average of about $37,500 annually to house an inmate in federal correctional facilities and that mass incarceration costs the U.S. at least $182 billion every year. Despite a steep decline in illicit drug usage in the earlier years, drug use in the U.S. is climbing again and more quickly than ever. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the number of illicit drug users rose to 13% of Americans 12 years or older in 2019, nearly reaching its peak from 40 years ago.
How synthetic opioids can radically change global illegal drug markets and foreign policy
When it comes to the illicit drug trade, prices can vary drastically depending on the substance. However, there is one drug that stands out as the most expensive on the black market – Carfentanil.
What is Carfentanil?
Reasons for High Prices of Weed in Some Legalized States:
Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl. Originally developed as a tranquilizer for large animals like elephants, carfentanil has made its way onto the streets and into the hands of drug dealers.
Places such as Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa—the last already a robust producer of synthetic drugs—can quickly become the new global hotspots of production and international controversy should the current leaders be dethroned. When it was founded in 1989, U.S. concern about illicit drugs had risen to near-panic levels. Violent crime, much of it related to drug distribution, was in the midst of a historic run-up, and media reports of “crack babies” contributed to a sense of cities spinning out of control.
What are the drug trends?
Why is Carfentanil so Expensive?
Due to its extreme potency, carfentanil is considered one of the most dangerous drugs on the black market. It only takes a tiny amount of the substance to induce a lethal overdose, making it highly sought after by those looking for a powerful high. This high demand for such a potent drug drives up the price significantly.
The Cost of Carfentanil
#9 Synthetic Drugs
On the black market, a single gram of carfentanil can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000. This makes it one of the most expensive drugs available illegally. Despite the high price tag, the demand for carfentanil remains strong among certain drug users.
We’ve grown used to living with the consequences of legal alcohol, even though alcohol is undeniably costly to the nation in lives and treasure. But few would argue for a return to Prohibition, in part because the liquor industry is so lucrative and so powerful. Binge drinkers — 20 percent of the drinking population — consume more than half of the alcohol sold, which means that for all the industry’s pious admonitions to “drink responsibly,” it depends on people doing the opposite.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is carfentanil legal?
- What are the dangers of using carfentanil?
- Why do people still use carfentanil despite the risks and high cost?
No, carfentanil is not approved for human use and is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States.
They are now likely to get an exclusive license to market the vaccine even though they had little, if any, of their own money at risk the development process. In addition, the public disclosure of test results may put pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to change its practices. The problem of misreporting or concealing results in order to promote a drug is one that arises in the process of clinical testing. While misrepresented results can be a problem at any stage in the drug development process, misrepresentations at the pre-clinical phase are unlikely to have health consequences because they will be uncovered in clinical testing. The problem of patients being prescribed drugs that are less effective than claimed or possible harmful to certain patients due to misrepresentations is entirely an issue with clinical testing.
This can cause the effective tax rates to actually range from about 32% to 41%, depending on which product you buy. This is why the Cannabis Association of New York is insisting on abolishing the THC potency tax and instead replacing it with a flat 20% retail tax rate. North America dominates the market and is projected to be the fastest growing region. Marijuana legalization is gaining momentum around the globe, driven primarily by the increasing recognition that the product may have a range of legitimate medicinal benefits and therapeutic applications. With a decade of experience in producing content for drug rehabilitation centers, Ben has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs in this sphere. In 2019, he founded the video blog “A String Of Hope,” a platform that has become a beacon of inspiration and positive change for individuals seeking recovery, reaching millions worldwide.
Due to its potency, carfentanil can easily lead to accidental overdoses, respiratory failure, and death. It is considered extremely hazardous to both users and those who come into contact with it.
Some individuals seek out carfentanil specifically for its intense effects, seeking a stronger high than other opioids can provide. Addiction and lack of awareness about the dangers also contribute to its continued use.
- The medicinal uses of marijuana are still under study and the legal issues on a federal level still need to be ironed out, so we could potentially see the amount of money spent on marijuana rise drastically over the next few years.
- You can see from this list that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) made up the cost of over a third of the prescriptions in 2020.
- This could yield multiple treatments per batch versus the current “bespoke” method, a weeks-long process where “you have to make a fully qualified lot of drug for every single patient,” says Grupp.
- Xylazine can be life-threatening and is especially dangerous when combined with opioids like fentanyl.
- To our knowledge, this economic evaluation is the first to illustrate drug availability and affordability relative to mean income by outpatient drug class since the start of the Lebanese economic crisis.
Overall, carfentanil’s status as the most expensive drug in the black market serves as a grim reminder of the dangers and consequences associated with illicit drug use.
