slimvictor
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2008
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Inside Silk Road's drug market: U.S. pot and cocaine are cheap
Last week, the FBI busted the Silk Road website, a massive black market that specialized in the anonymous sale of drugs. But a month before the feds shut down the highly secretive network, a computer savvy Australian startup called The Price Geek harvested data on the two most popular items for sale on Silk Road: cocaine and marijuana.
The Price Geek prides itself in being the go-to website to find the price of anything. So, naturally, illicit drugs seemed like a good fit.
Marijuana was -- by far -- the most popular drug for sale on Silk Road. That's no surprise, given that marijuana is by far the world's most-used illegal drug, according to the World Health Organization.
Prices on Silk Road were set in bitcoins -- digital currency that's hard to trace. For simplicity, we've converted them to their value in today's U.S. dollars.
Here are some key insights on weed:
Of the most popular nations, it's cheapest in South Africa.
It's most expensive in Germany, but Poland and Australia are close behind.
It's relatively affordable in the United States.
Why the stark difference? It's still deemed illegal by most governments, but enforcement -- and priced-in risk to dealers -- differs greatly by country. Marijuana has been decriminalized in just a few regions, such as the Netherlands. But legalized pot only exists in only two locations: Colorado and Washington (though it remains a federal crime in the United States).
Silk Road prices were listed per gram. For perspective, someone who consumes cannabis on a daily basis might smoke or ingest about 1.8 grams each week. Here's what that pot habit would cost per week:
Germany: $40
Poland: $39
Australia: $39
United Kingdom: $35
Netherlands: $34
Czech Republic: $32
United States: $27
Canada: $20
The second most popular product listed on Silk Road was cocaine. Its prices also varied wildly by location. Here are the takeaways:
Of the biggest supplier nations, it's cheapest in Peru.
It's most expensive in Australia.
Once again, it's relatively inexpensive in the United States.
That Peru sits at the bottom of the list should come as no surprise. In 2012, Peru bumped off Colombia and became the world's No. 1 source of cocaine, according to the United Nation's Office on Drugs and Crime. An estimated 149,251 acres of coca were planted there last year.
Cocaine makes for quite a pricier habit than weed -- but not by much. Here's the weekly cost for a cocaine user who snorts a daily 50 milligram "line" of the white powder:
cont at
http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/09/technology/silk-road-drug-prices/
Last week, the FBI busted the Silk Road website, a massive black market that specialized in the anonymous sale of drugs. But a month before the feds shut down the highly secretive network, a computer savvy Australian startup called The Price Geek harvested data on the two most popular items for sale on Silk Road: cocaine and marijuana.
The Price Geek prides itself in being the go-to website to find the price of anything. So, naturally, illicit drugs seemed like a good fit.
Marijuana was -- by far -- the most popular drug for sale on Silk Road. That's no surprise, given that marijuana is by far the world's most-used illegal drug, according to the World Health Organization.
Prices on Silk Road were set in bitcoins -- digital currency that's hard to trace. For simplicity, we've converted them to their value in today's U.S. dollars.
Here are some key insights on weed:
Of the most popular nations, it's cheapest in South Africa.
It's most expensive in Germany, but Poland and Australia are close behind.
It's relatively affordable in the United States.
Why the stark difference? It's still deemed illegal by most governments, but enforcement -- and priced-in risk to dealers -- differs greatly by country. Marijuana has been decriminalized in just a few regions, such as the Netherlands. But legalized pot only exists in only two locations: Colorado and Washington (though it remains a federal crime in the United States).
Silk Road prices were listed per gram. For perspective, someone who consumes cannabis on a daily basis might smoke or ingest about 1.8 grams each week. Here's what that pot habit would cost per week:
Germany: $40
Poland: $39
Australia: $39
United Kingdom: $35
Netherlands: $34
Czech Republic: $32
United States: $27
Canada: $20
The second most popular product listed on Silk Road was cocaine. Its prices also varied wildly by location. Here are the takeaways:
Of the biggest supplier nations, it's cheapest in Peru.
It's most expensive in Australia.
Once again, it's relatively inexpensive in the United States.
That Peru sits at the bottom of the list should come as no surprise. In 2012, Peru bumped off Colombia and became the world's No. 1 source of cocaine, according to the United Nation's Office on Drugs and Crime. An estimated 149,251 acres of coca were planted there last year.
Cocaine makes for quite a pricier habit than weed -- but not by much. Here's the weekly cost for a cocaine user who snorts a daily 50 milligram "line" of the white powder:
cont at
http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/09/technology/silk-road-drug-prices/
