What America's Users Spend on Illegal Drugs 1988-2000 - National ...

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Table 9 - Calculation of Total Marijuana Consumption, 1988-20001988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000Number of <strong>Users</strong>(millions) 11.6 10.9 10.2 10.4 9.7 9.6 10.1 9.8 10.1 11.1 11.0 11.9 12.1Joints used per month 16.9 17.3 17.6 16.6 17.2 17.8 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.7Weight of a joint (ounces) 0.0134 0.0135 0.0137 0.0135 0.0134 0.0136 0.0136 0.0136 0.0136 0.0136 0.0136 0.0136 0.0136Price per ounce, 1/3 ouncepurchase $385 $361 $508 $499 $545 $432 $397 $340 $309 $311 $322 $292 $284Total expenditure for theyear ($ in billion dollarequivalents) $12.1 $11.0 $15.0 $14.0 $14.6 $12.0 $12.2 $10.2 $9.5 $10.5 $10.8 $10.6 $10.5Metric Tons894 866 837 793 761 791 874 848 874 960 952 1028 1047Estimates for 2000 are projectionsSources:NHSDA 1988, 1990 through 1999; STRIDE 1981 through 2000.26
Total Consumption EstimatesThe factors required to calculate total marijuana consumption are shown in Table 9. In 1999, we estimate thataverage users consumed 18.7 joints per month. The average amount of marijuana used per joint equaled0.0136 ounces. 46 At a retail price of $292 an ounce, these users spent an average of $74 each month ($891a year) on marijuana. This number, multiplied by the 11.9 million monthly users, yields a consumptionestimate of $10.6 billion for the year. That translates into more than 1,000 metric tons for the year.These estimates may be low. <strong>Users</strong> are likely to under report socially disapproved behaviors, even when thosebehaviors are legal. 47 They would seem to have even more incentive to under report illegal behaviors. 48 Givenunder reporting rates for tobacco and alcohol use, it might be reasonable to inflate marijuana estimates byabout one-third. On the other hand these estimates could be too high. Joints are frequently shared, and itseems plausible that these calculations double count some consumption. At any rate, our estimates of totalspending are in line with estimates by others. 49There is one disconcerting comparison, however. According to the DEA, nearly 830 metric tons of marijuanawere seized during 1998, nearly 1,100 metric tons were seized in 1999, and more than 1,200 metric tons wereseized in 2000. There may be a measurement problem. That is, the tonnage from seizures may include nonsalablebulk, and thus, seizures may overstate the consumption-equivalent of marijuana seized at the border.Even taking that explanation into account, it seems unlikely that marijuana growers would continue to exportinto the United States when the probability of detection and seizure of product was as high as is implied bythe combination of the consumption and seizure estimate.Other DrugsMost of the money spent on illicit drugs in America is spent on cocaine, heroin, marijuana, andmethamphetamine. However, expenditures on other illicit substances (inhalants and hallucinogens) and onlicit substances consumed illegally (other stimulants, sedatives, tranquilizers, and analgesics) is considerable.Much of this drug use appears to be reported to the NHSDA. 50 We do note, however, that the NHSDAundoubtedly misses some users, and those who are reached probably have an incentive to misrepresent theirconsumption.27
Page 1: What America’s <
Page 5 and 6: TABLE OF CONTENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..
Page 7 and 8: AcknowledgementsThe authors and sta
Page 9 and 10: Executive SummarySince 1991, the Of
Page 11 and 12: A different kind of comparison was
Page 13 and 14: IntroductionIn 2000, the Office of
Page 15 and 16: An Appendix explains how we used da
Page 17 and 18: Other policy analysts have reported
Page 19 and 20: Trends in Drug UseIf the prevalence
Page 21 and 22: dynamics of emergency room use by c
Page 23 and 24: downward adjustment seems unwarrant
Page 25 and 26: estimation technology at the price
Page 27 and 28: Other studies provide comparable es
Page 29 and 30: areas, computed the number who ente
Page 31 and 32: methamphetamine users in 1993, fewe
Page 33: percent to about 12 percent. Thus,
Page 37 and 38: heroin and cocaine have fallen or r
Page 39 and 40: Table 11 - Total Expenditures on Il
Page 41 and 42: In 2000, Americans spent about $36
Page 43: into the United States. These targe
Page 46 and 47: equired for several reasons, but th
Page 48 and 49: We used the SRHT findings to adjust
Page 50 and 51: As noted, the ratio between our est
Page 52 and 53: marijuana for 1995. For this purpos
Page 54 and 55: from TEDS-eligible treatment progra
Page 57 and 58: Endnotes1 The calculations reported
Page 59 and 60: 7. A large percentage of heavy drug
Page 61 and 62: number of people needing treatment
Page 63 and 64: and Kleiman’s $8 billion figure.
Page 65: 48. In 1993, about 74 percent of ar

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