2014 Drug Trends in Louisiana

There is an increasing danger in the use of illegal drugs in the state of Louisiana. Much of the drugs that are of concern in Louisiana include cocaine (including crack cocaine), heroin, marijuana, and meth.

Perhaps the greatest drug threat in Louisiana is the illegal use of cocaine. Cocaine in Louisiana is mostly available in both powdered form and as crack cocaine. Most of the cocaine that enters Louisiana is through the south side of the state. The coastline of Louisiana is along the Gulf of Mexico, allowing Mexican and Central American drug dealers to easily transport the cocaine along the gulf and into Louisiana (this same tactic is largely used to get cocaine into southern Florida). As a result of the large influx of cocaine into Louisiana, law enforcement agencies capture large quantities of it, but unfortunately it keeps pouring into the state. There is also a strong correlation between the pouring of cocaine into Louisiana and the incidents of violent crime and murders that have sadly increased. A lot of the cocaine is found in the city of New Orleans, and is sold mostly to independent dealers, and African American and Hispanic gangs.

Heroin is another more common illegal drug found in Louisiana, but most of it is only found in New Orleans and not other parts of the state. A lot of the heroin that is in Louisiana is in transport to other states in the Midwest. In many regards, New Orleans is the gateway from the Gulf of Mexico into the rest of the United States, just like Miami. The criminal use of heroin in Louisiana has reached an all time high, and is found mostly in commercial flights and buses, mail, and ships that come to Louisiana from ports in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America (primarily Colombia). A lot of the heroin found in Louisiana is also a significantly darker color than more traditional heroin, since dealers insert it with a brown sugar. Many people who take heroin in Louisiana are in great danger of overdosing on it due to the purity levels. Many of the people who buy and sell heroin in Colombia are younger Latinos and Caucasian adults. The number of people who overdose on heroin in Louisiana is much higher than in other states, and it is becoming a problem that the state has been forced to address. Law enforcement has done much to try to find as much heroin deals as possible, but the simple fact remains that heroin remains a bigger drug problem in Louisiana than in other states.

One of the fastest growing drug problems in the state of Louisiana is the production and sale of meth. Meth is primarily distributed in and sold by drug dealers from Mexico, Central America, and South America. Much of the meth that is sold in Louisiana is sold in the northern parts of the state rather than the southern coastline by New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. This is because that northern Louisiana is decidedly rural and thus much easier to sell and avoid being caught by law enforcement. Meth is widely available throughout northern Louisiana. This is a rapid change from just a few years ago, where meth wasn’t more of a problem in Louisiana than in other states. A lot of the meth that is distributed and sold in Louisiana, however, isn’t even made in Louisiana. Rather, it is made in other states such as California or Florida, or even in different countries like Mexico, and then brought into Louisiana. As a result, law enforcement officials are expecting a gradual increase in the use and sale of meth in the state of Louisiana.

However, the most common and available drug in Louisiana by and large is marijuana. Like meth, much of the marijuana that is sold and distributed in Louisiana is not produced in Louisiana, but is instead produced in other states and countries. However, more marijuana is produced locally in Louisiana than meth. What’s worse, is that this local production of Louisiana is increasing. As a result, the general price of marijuana in Louisiana is also decreasing since it is being produced more locally. However, there are other factors involved in this reduction of price. This is because marijuana is produced in bulk, and can be made that way with less expense. However, much of this bulk produced marijuana is lower quality marijuana, but it still works to increase profits for independent retailers and drug dealers.