Drug Rehab MaineDrug
Situation : Marijuana, locally grown and imported from Canada,
Massachusetts, and New York, remains the primary drug of abuse in
Maine. The use and availability of Cocaine, Heroin, and diverted
pharmaceuticals continue to increase. Methamphetamine remains a
minor concern with significant potential for production and distribution
in the state. Interstate 95 provides an important north-south transportation
route for traffickers travelling most frequently to sources of drug
supply in several northeastern Massachusetts cities. Additionally,
Maine 228 miles of coastline and 3,478 miles of shoreline offer
ample opportunities for smugglers.
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Heroin
: Massachusetts-based Dominican traffickers continue to be the
primary suppliers of high quality Heroin to the Maine distributors.
These distributors, who typically transport the drug in passenger
vehicles, provide for an increasing availability of Heroin in the
state. While use is more prevalent in southern communities, it is
also encountered in coastal and Canadian-border communities, and
Heroin use has spread into rural and remote areas. Abuse has increased,
particularly among younger teenagers in Bridgeton, Rockland, Penobscot,
and York counties. |
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Methamphetamine
: There is a potential for Methamphetamine to become a problem
in Maine. Despite two clandestine lab seizures in 2002, the drug continues
to be encountered throughout the state. Abuse and availability have
increased in Aroostook County. Low-quality metamphetamine is often
express-mailed into the state from California and the southwestern
states. Trafficking groups supplying Methamphetamine to the state
generally are connected to outlaw motorcycle clubs or are members
of the rave set. The Methamphetamine labs seized last year serve as
a reminder that Maine size and predominantly rural population create
an ideal environment for large-scale Methamphetamine manufacturing.
Club Drugs : Law-enforcement officials in southern Maine have noticed a small increase in the use of MDMA, which continues to be associated with rave parties and the student population. Marijuana : Marijuana, historically the illicit drug of choice in the state is plentiful and readily available. Year-round indoor grows are common, but high-grade Marijuana cultivated in Canada has been smuggled over the border. Commercial-grade Marijuana is often obtained from middlemen in the southern New England states and New York. Hashish is available sporadically in small quantities, but the increasing popularity of hashish in Canada may change the hashish situation in Maine. Traffickers have moved hashish and hash oil through Maine and into Canada. Caucasian traffickers typically supply locally grown Marijuana as well as Marijuana shipped from the southwest border and Canada. Shipments ranging from 15 to 500 pounds typically enter the state via Interstate 95 in automobiles, campers, rental trucks, and tractor-trailers. Motorcycle groups continue to control much of the Marijuana distribution in Maine, using associates to distribute approximately 300 to 500 pounds monthly. Marijuana Legislation: Maine has a number of statutes related to Marijuana possession, cultivation, trafficking, therapeutic research programs, paraphernalia, illegal importation, and asset forfeiture. These laws are often cited as the reason that Maine residents must travel to obtain their illicit drugs from out-of-state traffickers wary of the state tough drug laws. Other Drugs : PCP purchased in Boston, MA is available in the southern portion of the state; LSD, available in gelcap form, is abused by young students; and psilocybin mushrooms, most often obtained from commercially available cultivation kits, are available in Maine.The state continues to experience an increase in the availability of diverted pharmaceuticals. Oxycodone products, Percocet, Roxicet, and Oxycontin are readily available. Dilaudid is found in Washington County, including the city of Calais. Many instances of doctor-shopping schemes, falsified prescriptions, and pharmacy robberies of Oxycontin have been experienced in Lincoln County and the Portland area. Diverted Canadian pharmaceuticals also are being smuggled into Maine. |
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