Pubdate: Fri, 17 Jul 2015
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Author: Corey Larocque
Page: 5

POT STILL DRUG OF CHOICE

Tops List in Capital Along With Coke, Crack

Drug users in other North American cities are warming up to new 
designer drugs like bath salts and flakka, but garden-variety 
marijuana is the drug of choice in Canada's capital.

Cocaine and crack round out Ottawa's trio of popular illicit 
narcotics, said Sgt. Ian McDonell, who heads up the Ottawa Police drug unit.

Marijuana, which has been the "traditional" drug of choice for years, 
still holds onto that dubious title, McDonell said.

Based on the search warrants Ottawa Police carry out, those three 
have the biggest hold on the drug market.

"The majority of them involve crack, cocaine and weed."

Marijuana offences accounted for 1,059 of the city's total 1,546 
total drug offences - or 68.5% - in 2013, the last year for which 
Ottawa Police crime statistics are published online.

Cocaine offences placed a distant second with 355- or 23% of the 
total offences.

Ottawa public health department figures back up the police data.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug, with 45% of adults 
having used it during their lifetime, according to a 2013 report 
titled Substance Misuse in Ottawa.

Across Ontario, 40% of adults have used it.

Cocaine or crack was used by 5% of Ottawans during their lifetime, 4% 
used Ecstasy and 3% tried speed.

Price steady

Despite its popularity, the price of pot on the street hasn't budged 
much in the past 10 years.

It sells for between $10 and $15 a gram, McDonell said. It's basic 
economics. Supply helps determine the price.

In a city that's able to grow enough to meet local demand, the price 
is going to be lower.

"Ottawa has a pretty good crop of domestic product," McDonell said.

Drug prices in Northern Ontario tend to be a lot higher than in the 
province's bigger cities.

Up north, pot can go for $100 or $150 a gram on the streets, tenfold 
what users in Ottawa are paying.

When a city needs to import drugs from another city, it drives the price up.

It's why cocaine - at about $100 a gram in Ottawa - is a little more 
expensive than in a source city like Montreal or Toronto, which are 
the point of entry for foreign-produced cocaine.

American cities are starting to report the arrival of flakka, a cheap 
designer drug that can cause users to have violent reactions.

Its effects are reportedly similar to taking the "bath salts" drug 
that was popular a few years ago.

Florida is flakka's "epicentre," according to a recent CBS News report.

But it hasn't surfaced in Ottawa in a noticeable way.

"We haven't seen it," McDonell said, adding that "everything's out 
there somewhere," but it's not something Ottawa cops have encountered.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom