If drugs are so cheap in America why are they associated with so much crime and violence?

[cowboycurtis]

Are they really more expensive or is it a result of the difference in per capita income? I think less people/less diverse population along with healthcare, education/opportunities, and most of all the lack of guns all contributes to the difference in levels of violence. It's also an entirely different group of people bringing the drugs in AFAIK. I know heroin in the U.S. used to come mainly from S.E. Asia back in the day so you would think Aussies still get a decent amount from there being so close, but I've heard that the majority of heroin in Australia comes from the Middle East like the rest of Europe. So are you guys getting base down there?

 

[Xorkoth]

They're more expensive per capita income in Australia for sure... Australians do not make on average 10 times as much as Americans. But, they aren't *really* 10 times as expensive in Australis, because Australians do make more on average than Americans. However they are several times more expensive. This is, as far as I can tell, due to Australia being an island nation with strong customs, ie, it's much harder to get drugs in.

 

[Xorkoth]

The drug violence in central/south America is due to the fact that the cartels are based there. In America it's the gangs that are responsible for much of the drug violence. American has a lot of gang activity/violence. But it pales beside the cartels, as the cartels are able to basically do whatever they want, and the gangs are isolated to low income communities where no one cares (authorities anyway) if they kill each other (but they care a lot if they encroach on "more desirable" communities).

 

[Gormur]

Cool topic. My guess is Australia's crime is comparatively isolated by location and since it's notoriously difficult to smuggle drugs into the continent, it probably involves higher ups and few mules making the prices high. This would at least explain the low incidence of organized crime; at least the kind that makes the news

The States seems to have a capitalistic economy even when it comes to illicit drugs, so you have competition between diverse groups even if it's pretty uniform in some areas. That's where the violence starts. People will fight for territory, killing others and replacing them and I don't know if that happens outside the Americas but I've never heard about it

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

I think some of it is due to the fact that there are jurisdictions that have basically said that they would not prosecute non violent misdemeanor crimes like shoplifting. Police may arrest them and they get put into the crime statistics but they are released and not prosecuted. Rinse and repeat. It's only human nature to take advantage of these types of circumstances. I would very likely take advantage of this if I was in the set of circumstances where I could make money that I needed for drugs and not have any repercussions.


C K

 

[Jabberwocky]

What I wanted to ask is (as a matter of interest):

Given that drugs are, from what I gather, very expensive in Australia: would you say that the quality/quantity is commensurate with the high prices @Atelier3? Just something I was wondering about since you started this thread.

Nope. I don’t think price correlates with quality. I got better coke from street buys in London and Paris at 1/4 the price than I ever got it in Australia.

Basically in Australia you have 10 wannabe low level drug dealers funding their own habit for every legit professional drug dealer. Unless you are a friend of a friend the only way to get to quality product is slowly work up the chain over time. That’s expensive and time consuming. The low level guys really step on the product until it’s nearly worthless. But the price from low level and professional basically the same.

There are some exceptions to this rule when buying from dark net markets. The first time I shot dark net meth I thought I was having a heart attack the quality was so different than the street stuff.

 

[Gormur]

Basically in Australia you have 10 wannabe low level drug dealers funding their own habit for every legit professional drug dealer. Unless you are a friend of a friend the only way to get to quality product is slowly work up the chain over time. That’s expensive and time consuming. The low level guys really step on the product until it’s nearly worthless. But the price from low level and professional basically the same.

That's how it is here too, IME. When I've gotten meth it's through a guy who gets it in Mexico. Cocaine is different because you're basically getting something that's been cleaned up and the price you pay no doubt reflects that. I don't know about heroin but I'd guess the rules are the same

 

[cowboycurtis]

Nope. I don’t think price correlates with quality. I got better coke from street buys in London and Paris at 1/4 the price than I ever got it in Australia.

Basically in Australia you have 10 wannabe low level drug dealers funding their own habit for every legit professional drug dealer. Unless you are a friend of a friend the only way to get to quality product is slowly work up the chain over time. That’s expensive and time consuming. The low level guys really step on the product until it’s nearly worthless. But the price from low level and professional basically the same.

There are some exceptions to this rule when buying from dark net markets. The first time I shot dark net meth I thought I was having a heart attack the quality was so different than the street stuff.

See I don't understand this. AFAIK methamphetamine purity in the U.S. has been pretty consistently clocked out at about 80-90%, especially close to the border and from personal experience I don't think they're too far off. Speed sells like hot cakes where I'm from and it almost seems like it's not worth cutting to shit because of how cheap it is and how high demand is. But hey, what do I know? I wonder why it would be different in Australia unless it comes in already cut to shit.

 

[Fiori di Bella]

@Atelier3, Not to change the direction of this thread, but...
If you like Louis Theroux’s documentaries watch those he’s made re: the Westboro Baptist Church. He gives viewers a look into the Phelps family and we learn about their warped beliefs and missions. He’s made 3 documentaries about this “church” over several years.

 

[Jabberwocky]

It seems like drugs like meth in Australia can cost approximately 10 times what they do in the US. However, there is nowhere near the level of property crime and violence connected to drugs in Australia that there is in the US.

This puzzles me. Although there certainly is crime in Australia it seems that Aussies can sustain drug habits in a more easygoing way than Americans can.

Any thoughts on what the difference between the two countries are?

This is subjective. Higher population higher crime rates. I’m sure there are many areas in Australia that are as violent. Much of the problem is where your info is coming from. It seems biased

 

[Jabberwocky]

See I don't understand this. AFAIK methamphetamine purity in the U.S. has been pretty consistently clocked out at about 80-90%, especially close to the border and from personal experience I don't think they're too far off. Speed sells like hot cakes where I'm from and it almost seems like it's not worth cutting to shit because of how cheap it is and how high demand is. But hey, what do I know? I wonder why it would be different in Australia unless it comes in already cut to shit.

When a single gram retails for several hundred dollars in Australia there is a lot of incentive to cut it.

 

[Joey]

What’s the rule on mod A deleting mod B’s posts for being whack-job level off topic in mod A’s serious threa

Mod C gets an upgrade and deletes everything.. Alex_1991_Version_Aplha_X_Fuckin_Bootstraps_Bitch

Then I gloat over a job well one until my modstick goes limp

 

[Joey]

When a single gram retails for several hundred dollars in Australia there is a lot of incentive to cut it.

That is so insane to me. I'm not going to quote exacr prices this post which I know I've done before in some other thread probably months ago stupidly, but basically my nickel stretches lfar ike your dollar without the exchange rate...

 

[Ganjcat]

Because like all 'cheap ' drugs they stop being cheap once you buy them everyday and then you need to buy 10x the usual everyday that's why or am I missing something

 

[Ganjcat]

That is so insane to me. I'm not going to quote exacr prices this post which I know I've done before in some other thread probably months ago stupidly, but basically my nickel stretches lfar ike your dollar without the exchange rate...

do you think I could be a mod I used to be a mod on deadfrontier boards and that is very very active more active then here by far at least it was when I was there

 

[Joey]

do you think I could be a mod I used to be a mod on deadfrontier boards and that is very very active more active then here by far at least it was when I was there

Maybe I don’t really follow you but don’t see why you couldn’t apply for positions as they come up. That’s what I did over and over.

when I was much (much) younger I modded a gaiaonline ripoff that at a hundredsish members online average for a period but that was short lived and I was partly a culprit behind its existence. It got trolled hard by the zillions of Gaia fans once they got wind. I’m not sure that helps my endeavour but I have been on forums at least as an active reader for nearly 20 years. Being familiar with these more classic style message boards in general which I’m sure you are probably helps. And just proving to be a regular membe who’s (at least semi) serious about your place here.

 

[Jabberwocky]

That is so insane to me. I'm not going to quote exacr prices this post which I know I've done before in some other thread probably months ago stupidly, but basically my nickel stretches lfar ike your dollar without the exchange rate...

I won’t price individual quantities but a steady meth habit with high tolerance will run you about $3,000 a month in Australia if you buy by the gram each time,

 

[Joey]

I won’t price individual quantities but a steady meth habit with high tolerance will run you about $3,000 a month in Australia if you buy by the gram each time,

$500 month and a half 2 if stretched for me, and I’ve had much lower. although towards the heaviest use in the end I was getting a fair bit steeper. Maybe 500-750 a month but that’s not gram by gram. That’s asking for a lot more easily and shadiest deals ripping points off quantity and Quality too. If this the path you choose for now I’d aim for some semi bulk from someone a little more mid level and start looking other places than where the grams are put out piece to piece.

 

[Jabberwocky]

$500 month and a half 2 if stretched for me, and I’ve had much lower. although towards the heaviest use in the end I was getting a fair bit steeper. Maybe 500-750 a month but that’s not gram by gram. That’s asking for a lot more easily and shadiest deals ripping points off quantity and Quality too. If this the path you choose for now I’d aim for some semi bulk from someone a little more mid level and start looking other places than where the grams are put out piece to piece.

Ha ha. I only buy grams because each time it’s the very last time.

 

[Joey]

Ha ha. I only buy grams because each time it’s the very last time.

I did that for awhile too until it wasn’t practical. Can always flush a bunch later over pay top
Dollar for garbage. I know that sounds super dangerous to suggest though. I actually wonder if your stature and appearance and age like “professional but reckless and has money” might have people suckering you into bum deals too..