The number of homemade methamphetamine labs are reportedly down by nearly half in many Midwestern states, but that hasn't stopped meth users in America from staying away from the drug.
People are reportedly turning to cheaper, imported Mexican meth now, according to the Associated Press.
Meth users in America are now reportedly getting their drugs through Mexican cartel pipelines, which provides meth that is both cheap and pure. The cartels have reportedly expended their meth reach to rural areas and small towns as well now.
"The great news is that meth from Mexico doesn't explode, doesn't burn down your house and your neighbor's home, doesn't contaminate your property, doesn't kill children the way meth labs have done here in the U.S. for decades," stated Jason Grellner, the chief narcotics officer in Franklin Country, Missouri.
As federal and state lawmakers reportedly began limiting the sale of the key meth ingredient pseudoephedrine in the mid-2000s, Mexican cartels have reportedly increased their meth-making by using the compound phenylacetone, which is banned in the U.S. but obtainable in Mexico, according to the DEA.
The desire for Mexican meth by users in America has increased as the purity of Mexican meth reportedly increased from 39% in 2007 to almost 100% today, stated Jim Shroba, a special agent in charge for the DEA's St. Louis office. Despite the purity level, the price of the drug has fallen, reportedly going from $290 per gram to around $100 per gram.
According to Indiana's meth suppression commander Niki Crawford, the use of Mexican meth has gone from big cities to her state's mid-sized cities.
"We all know that if we get a handle on meth labs, we will still have meth addicts who will work very hard to get their drug. This is where the Mexican cartel meth will fill the void," stated Crawford.
