National Drug Intelligence Center

U.S. Department of Justice

Drug Threat Assessment

February 2003

Washington
U.S. Department of Justice

National Drug Intelligence Center

National Drug Intelligence Center

319 Washington Street, 5th Floor

Johnstown, PA 15901-1622

(814) 532-4601

Washington

Drug Threat Assessment

Product No. 2003-S0388WA-001

February 2003
Preface

This report is a strategic assessment that addresses the status and outlook of the drug threat to 

Washington. Analytical judgment determined the threat posed by each drug type or category, taking into 

account the most current quantitative and qualitative information on availability, demand, production or 

cultivation, transportation, and distribution, as well as the effects of a particular drug on abusers and 

society as a whole. While NDIC sought to incorporate the latest available information, a time lag often 

exists between collection and publication of data, particularly demand-related data sets. NDIC anticipates 

that this drug threat assessment will be useful to policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and treatment 

providers at the federal, state, and local levels because it draws upon a broad range of information sources 

to describe and analyze the drug threat to Washington. 

Cover Photo © Stockbyte
National Drug Intelligence Center

iii

Washington Drug Threat Assessment

Executive Summary 

Methamphetamine is a primary drug threat to Washington. High purity, low cost 

methamphetamine is readily available, and the drug is abused throughout the state. 

Methamphetamine production in Washington has increased, as has the number of 

methamphetamine laboratories seized by law enforcement officials. Methamphetamine 

production is causing serious safety and environmental concerns in Washington. Further, 

the production, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine are more commonly 

associated with violent crime than any other drug. Methamphetamine is produced in 

Washington primarily by Caucasian criminal groups and local independents, often in 

ounce quantities using the Birch reduction method. Local independent producers, 

however, have produced pound quantities using the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus 

production method. Mexican criminal groups also produce methamphetamine in the 

state, sometimes in pound quantities typically using the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus 

method. Methamphetamine produced by Mexican criminal groups in high volume 

laboratories in Mexico and California and, to a lesser extent, in Oregon and 

southwestern states, is readily available in the state as well. Mexican criminal groups are 

the dominant transporters and wholesale distributors of methamphetamine in 

Washington. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers—primarily 

Caucasian and Mexican—are the principal retail distributors of methamphetamine in the 

state.

Marijuana is the most readily available and widely abused illicit drug in 

Washington. Locally produced marijuana is the predominant type available throughout the state. Marijuana produced in Canada and Mexico also is available in the state. 

Canada-produced marijuana, commonly known as BC Bud, is more readily available in 

Washington than Mexico-produced marijuana. Cannabis cultivation occurs throughout 

the state and may be increasing. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent 

producers are the primary marijuana producers in Washington. They also dominate the 

wholesale distribution of the marijuana they produce. Canada-based Asian criminal 

groups, primarily Vietnamese, and outlaw motorcycle gangs, primarily Hells Angels, as 

well as Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers—both Canada- and 

Washington-based—smuggle Canada-produced marijuana into Washington for 

wholesale and retail distribution. Mexican criminal groups are the dominant transporters 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

iv

and wholesale distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Washington. Criminal 

groups and local independent dealers, both primarily Caucasian, are the principal retail 

distributors of marijuana produced in Canada and Washington. Criminal groups, local 

independent dealers, and street gangs, all of which are primarily Mexican, are the 

principal retail distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Washington. Various other 

criminal groups, local independent dealers, and street gangs also distribute marijuana at 

the retail level.

Cocaine also is a significant threat to Washington. Powdered cocaine is readily 

available throughout Washington. Abuse of the drug is common, and powdered cocaine 

is abused more frequently than crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is generally not available 

outside the major metropolitan areas of Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. Mexican criminal 

groups are the predominant transporters and wholesale distributors of powdered cocaine 

in the state. These groups transport wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine from Mexico and California into and throughout Washington. Powdered cocaine is transported 

from and through Washington, primarily Seattle, to drug markets in other states and 

Canada. Criminal groups, local independent dealers, and street gangs, all of which are 

primarily Mexican, are the principal retail powdered cocaine distributors in Washington. 

Heroin poses a significant problem to Washington, particularly in larger cities such 

as Seattle, Tacoma, and Yakima. The drug is readily available, and heroin abuse is a significant problem. Violence associated with heroin distribution and abuse is a concern to 

law enforcement officials. Mexican black tar heroin is the predominant type available in 

the state. Mexican criminal groups are the dominant transporters of heroin into and 

through the state. These groups transport the drug primarily from Mexico and California 

into Washington and are the primary wholesale heroin distributors in the state. Mexican 

local independent dealers are the primary retail heroin distributors.

Other dangerous drugs. With the exception of MDMA, other dangerous drugs 

present a low but increasing threat to Washington. MDMA is readily available and abused 

in Washington. Other dangerous drugs include the stimulant MDMA, the hallucinogens 

LSD and psilocybin, and the depressant GHB and its analogs. Various criminal groups 

transport these dangerous drugs to Washington via private vehicles, commercial aircraft, 

couriers on foot entering the United States from Canada, and package delivery services. 

Many of these drugs are sold and abused by middle-class, suburban, young adults at raves 

and nightclubs and on college campuses. Several Internet web sites advertise weekly rave 

events in Washington and surrounding states, and the number of rave parties, where these 

drugs often are distributed, is increasing. Diverted pharmaceuticals such as oxycodone 

(OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and methadone

(Dolophine) also pose a low but increasing threat. 
Table of Contents

National Drug Intelligence Center

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Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Methamphetamine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Marijuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Cocaine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Heroin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Other Dangerous Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Stimulants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Hallucinogens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Depressants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Diverted Pharmaceuticals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

vi

Note: This map displays features mentioned in the report. 12 97 97

2

12

101

101

12

4

395

12

2

395

97

5

7

5

90

82

90

90

82

Bellevue

Kent

Federal Way

Bellingham

Lakewood

Burlington

Everett

Olympia Olympia

Seattle

Spokane

Tacoma

Lacey

Vancouver

Walla Walla Walla Walla

Yakima

Blaine Lynden Lynden Sumas

Mount Vernon

Raymond

Montesano

South Bend

Westport

Long Beach Long Beach Long Beach

Centralia

Longview

Pasco

Kennewick

Pullman

Laurier Oroville

Bellingham Int’l Airport Bellingham Int’l Airport Bellingham Int’l Airport

William William R. Fairchild

Int’l Airport

R. Fairchild

Int’l Airport

William R. FairchildInt’l Airport

Jefferson County JeffersonInt’l Airport

County

Int’l Airport

Jefferson CountyInt’l Airport

Boeing Field/KingCounty Int’l Airport Boeing Field/KingCounty Int’l Airport Boeing Field/KingCounty Int’l Airport

Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport

101



CANADA

Columbia River Columbia River

Columbia River Columbia River

Columbia River Columbia River

Mount BakerNational Forest

Mount RainierNational Park

Richland

Pasco

OREGON

IDAHO

Puget Sound Puget Sound Spokane Int’l Airport

Strait of Juan de Fuca

Washington.
National Drug Intelligence Center

1

Washington

Drug Threat Assessment

February 2003

Overview 

The state of Washington ranks fifteenth in population with nearly 5.9 million residents. Approximately one-half of the state’s population is 

concentrated in King, Pierce, and Snohomish 

Counties, all of which are adjacent to Puget Sound. 

In 2000 Washington had a higher percentage of 

Caucasian (81.8%), Asian (5.5%), and American 

Indian (1.6%) residents than the national percentages and a lower percentage of African American 

(3.2%) and Hispanic (7.5%) residents.

Washington’s topography and location render 

it susceptible to drug smuggling and production. 

The Washington section of the U.S.–Canada border is approximately 430 miles in length, a significant portion of which is vast, dense forest. 

Several waterways also are present on the border. 

The border has 13 official ports of entry (POEs), 

but the rest of the border is largely unpatrolled. 

Drug smugglers exploit the national parks and 

forests, as well as other forestlands and waterways adjacent to the border, to smuggle drugs 

into Washington. In fiscal year (FY) 2000 U.S. 

Border Patrol (USBP) agents at the Blaine and 

Spokane sectors seized almost 5,000 pounds of 

marijuana, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all 

marijuana seized at the U.S.–Canada border during that year. Drug producers also use the vast 

national parks and forests, primarily those in 

Fast Facts

Washington

Population (2000) 5,894,121

U.S. population 

ranking

15th

Median household 

income (2000)

$42,024

Unemployment

rate (2001)

6.9%

Land area 66,511 square miles

Shoreline 3,026 miles

Capital Olympia

Other principal cities Bellevue, Bellingham, Everett, 

Federal Way, Kennewick, Kent, 

Lakewood, Seattle, Spokane, 

Tacoma, Vancouver, Yakima

Number of counties 39

Principal 

industries

Advanced technology, 

aerospace, agriculture, 

biotechnology, food processing, 

forestry, international trade, 

recycling, tourism
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

2

western Washington, to cultivate cannabis and 

operate methamphetamine laboratories. 

Washington is a distribution center for both 

licit and illicit commodities in the Northwest due 

largely to its geographic location—bordered by 

Canada and the Pacific Ocean—and its multifaceted transportation infrastructure. Private vehicles, boats, and commercial trucks are frequently 

used to smuggle drugs into Washington and transport drugs into and through the state. Couriers on 

commercial and private aircraft, commercial 

buses, and passenger rail cars also are used by 

traffickers, but to a lesser extent.

Drug transporters primarily use Interstates 5, 

90, and 82 as well as U.S. Highways 2, 12, 97, 

101, and 395 to transport drugs into and through 

Washington. I-5, the principal north-south highway on the West Coast, extends from the U.S.–

Canada border near Blaine to the U.S.–Mexico 

border near San Ysidro, California. I-90, the primary east-west highway in Washington, connects 

Seattle with Spokane and extends to Chicago. 

I-82, which extends from central Washington 

through Yakima and the Tri-City area (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland), connects I-90 to 

I-84, a major interstate in northern Oregon. US 2, 

also known as the Hi-Line, connects I-5 in Everett with I-90 in Spokane and extends to the Upper 

Peninsula of Michigan. US 12 extends from 

Aberdeen, near the Pacific Coast, through southern Washington to Madison, Wisconsin. US 97 

extends from the Oroville POE, through Yakima 

and Oregon, to northern California where it connects to I-5. US 101 is the principal highway on 

the Olympic Peninsula. US 395 extends from the 

Laurier POE, through Spokane and the Tri-City 

area, to Southern California. Law enforcement 

officials in Washington commonly seize drugs on 

these highways, often as part of Operation Pipeline initiatives. 

Washington has seven international airports: 

Bellingham International, Grant County International in Moses Lake, William R. Fairchild International in Port Angeles, Jefferson County 

International in Port Townsend, Seattle-Tacoma 

International (SeaTac) and Boeing Field/King 

County International in Seattle, and Spokane 

International. SeaTac is the primary air transportation hub for domestic and international passengers and cargo in the state. Forty-four domestic 

and 13 foreign commercial air passenger and 

cargo carriers serve the airport. In addition, 

Washington has over 130 public use airports, 100 

heliports, and numerous private airports, seaplane 

bases, and landing strips. Illicit drugs occasionally are seized from commercial air passengers 

and air cargo. Illicit drugs also have been seized 

from noncommercial aircraft, particularly those 

landing at remote airstrips along the Washington 

portion of the U.S.–Canada border. 

Commercial shipping is prevalent in the Puget 

Sound area, the third busiest commercial shipping 

region in the nation. Only the Long Beach/Los 

Angeles and New York/New Jersey areas have 

more maritime traffic. Seven ports are situated in 

the Puget Sound area, including the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma. More than 2.7 million 

twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container 

traffic were handled by ports in the region in 

1999. The Port of Seattle handled nearly 1.5 million TEUs of container traffic that year, ranking 

fifth in the United States, while the Port of 

 Operation Pipeline

Operation Pipeline is a national highway interdiction program supported by the Drug 

Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso 

Intelligence Center (EPIC). Drug seizures 

from private vehicles are reported to Operation Pipeline by state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide operating along 

highways and interstates most frequently used 

to transport illegal drugs and drug proceeds.

Operation Jetway

Operation Jetway is an EPIC-supported 

domestic interdiction program. Drug seizures 

are reported to Operation Jetway by state and 

local law enforcement agencies across the 

nation at airports, train stations, bus stations, 

package shipment facilities, U.S. Post Offices, 

and airport hotels/motels.
National Drug Intelligence Center

3

Tacoma ranked eighth in the nation in 1999 with 

nearly 1.3 million TEUs of container traffic. This 

volume of maritime traffic, in addition to pleasure 

craft and fishing boats, has rendered the Puget 

Sound area vulnerable to the transportation of 

drugs into and through the region. 

Mexican criminal groups are the dominant 

transporters of illicit drugs into Washington. 

These groups transport wholesale amounts of 

methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana into the state from Mexico, California, and 

Oregon. Caucasian criminal groups and local 

independent dealers as well as Asian criminal 

groups—primarily Vietnamese—and outlaw 

motorcycle gangs (OMGs)—particularly Hells 

Angels—smuggle significant quantities of 

Canada-produced marijuana into Washington. 

Public health data reporting indicates that 

drug-related treatment admissions in Washington 

have increased. According to the Washington 

Division on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, drugrelated treatment admissions to publicly funded 

facilities in Washington for abuse of methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin increased 

overall from state fiscal year (SFY) 1997 through 

SFY2001, with marijuana-related admissions 

increasing each year during this period. The overall number of treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse increased substantially (153%) 

during this period from 2,334 in SFY1997 to 

5,907 in SFY2001. Large increases also were 

reported for marijuana, which has risen 75.1% in 

the last 5 years.

The number of drug-related deaths in Washington likewise has increased. According to the 

Washington State Department of Health, the 

number of drug abuse-related deaths increased 

from 461 in 1995 to 551 in 2001. 

The percentage of Washington residents who 

reported having abused an illicit drug was higher 

than the percentage nationwide in 2001, the most 

recent year for which data are available. According 

to the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug 

Abuse (NHSDA), 7.51 percent of Washington residents surveyed reported having abused an illicit 

drug in the month prior to the survey compared 

with 6.28 percent nationwide. 

Drug-related crimes have increased in Washington. The number of arrests in the state for the 

manufacture, possession, or sale of illicit drugs 

increased each year from 13,234 in 1994 to 

28,043 in 2001, according to the Washington 

Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. The 

Washington State Department of Corrections 

reports that 21.3 percent of the approximately 

15,000 inmates incarcerated in state correctional 

institutions in 2002 had drug-related crimes as 

their primary criminal offense. 

According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC), in FY2001 the percentage of federal 

sentences in Washington that were drug-related 

increased but remained lower than the national 

percentage. Drug-related sentences represented 

33.2 percent of all federal sentences in the state in 

FY2001 compared with 41.2 percent nationally. 

The percentage of federal sentences that were 

drug-related in Washington increased from 28.1 

percent in FY1997 to 33.2 percent in FY2001. 

The financial impact on Washington from substance abuse-related costs has been significant. 

According to the National Center on Addiction and 

Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Washington spent nearly $1.4 billion—$248 per resident—

on substance abuse-related costs in state programs 

in 1998, the most recent year for which these data 

are available. These costs represented 10.0 percent 

of the state’s total expenditures that year, the twentythird highest percentage in the nation but below the 

national average of 12.6 percent. 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

4

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a primary drug threat to 

Washington. High purity, low cost methamphetamine is readily available, and the drug is abused 

throughout the state. Methamphetamine production in Washington has increased, as has the 

number of methamphetamine laboratories seized 

by law enforcement officials. Methamphetamine 

production is causing serious safety and environmental concerns in Washington. Further, the 

production, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine are more commonly associated with 

violent crime than any other drug. Methamphetamine is produced in Washington primarily by 

Caucasian criminal groups and local independents, often in ounce quantities using the Birch 

reduction method. Local independent producers, 

however, have produced pound quantities using 

the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus production 

method. Mexican criminal groups also produce 

methamphetamine in the state, sometimes in 

pound quantities typically using the hydriodic 

acid/red phosphorus method. Methamphetamine 

produced by Mexican criminal groups in high 

volume laboratories in Mexico and California 

and, to a lesser extent, in Oregon and southwestern states, is readily available in the state as well. 

Mexican criminal groups are the dominant transporters and wholesale distributors of methamphetamine in Washington. Caucasian criminal 

groups and local independent dealers—primarily 

Caucasian and Mexican—are the principal retail 

distributors of methamphetamine in the state. 

Abuse

Methamphetamine abuse is widespread and 

increasing in Washington. In FY2002 law 

enforcement officials in Aberdeen, Blaine, 

Burlington, Hoquiam, Long Beach, Montesano, 

Pasco, Raymond, South Bend, and Westport 

reported that methamphetamine abuse was 

increasing significantly in their jurisdictions and 

that Caucasians were the primary abusers. Moreover, 45 of the 53 state and local law enforcement 

agencies that responded to the National Drug 

Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat 

Survey 2002 (see text box) reported that rates of 

methamphetamine abuse were high in their jurisdictions, six reported medium rates of abuse, and 

two reported low rates of abuse. 

Methamphetamine-related treatment admissions in Washington have increased. According to 

the Washington Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, the number of treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse to publicly 

funded facilities increased overall from 980 in 

SFY1994 to 5,700 in SFY2001. Admission rates 

per 100,000 population increased from 18 to 95.4 

over the same period. The number of treatment 

NDIC National Drug Threat Survey

The National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 

2002 was administered by NDIC to a representative sample of state and local law 

enforcement agencies throughout the United 

States to assess the availability, abuse, and 

overall threat posed by all major drugs. NDIC 

received 2,906 survey responses from law 

enforcement agencies, an overall response 

rate of 80 percent. Survey respondents were 

asked to rank the greatest drug threats in their 

areas and to indicate the level of availability for 

each major drug type. They also were asked 

to provide information on specific groups 

involved in the transportation and distribution 

of illicit drugs. Responding agencies also provided narrative assessments of various 

aspects of the overall drug situation and the 

threat posed by specific drugs in their areas. 

Survey responses are used by NDIC to substantiate and augment drug threat information 

obtained from other federal, state, and local 

law enforcement agencies.
National Drug Intelligence Center

5

admissions for methamphetamine abuse was 

higher than any other drug in SFY2000, according 

to state substance abuse data. According to the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), the number 

of methamphetamine-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in Washington 

increased from 4,146 in 1997 to 8,155 in 2001. 

(Disparities between state and federal reporting 

regarding admissions to substance abuse treatment 

programs are likely a result of differences in data 

collection and reporting methodologies.)

The number of emergency department (ED) 

mentions for methamphetamine abuse in the 

Seattle metropolitan area decreased from 1997 

through 2001. According to Drug Abuse Warning 

Network (DAWN) data, the number of methamphetamine-related ED mentions decreased from 

479 in 1997 to 394 in 2001. The Seattle metropolitan area ranked fifth in the number of methamphetamine-related ED mentions per 100,000 

population among the 21 metropolitan areas 

reporting to DAWN in 2001.

Methamphetamine-related deaths in the Seattle 

metropolitan area increased significantly from 

1996 through 1999, then decreased in 2000. 

According to DAWN mortality data, methamphetamine was a factor in a total of 11 deaths from 

1996 through 1998. Thereafter, methamphetamine 

was cited in 30 drug-related deaths in the Seattle 

metropolitan area in 1999 and 15 drug-related 

deaths in 2000. 

Methamphetamine was abused by a significant 

percentage of adult male arrestees in Spokane and 

Seattle in 2000. According to the Arrestee Drug 

Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, in 2001, 

20.1 percent of adult male arrestees tested positive 

for methamphetamine use in Spokane, and 11.5 

percent tested positive in Seattle. 

In 1999 the percentage of Seattle high school 

students who reported having abused methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime was statistically comparable to the national percentage. 

According to responses to the 1999 Youth Risk 

Behavior Survey (YRBS), 6.7 percent of high 

school students in Seattle reported that they had 

used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime compared with 9.1 percent nationally. In 

addition, 6.9 percent of female high school students in Seattle reported using the drug at least 

once in their lifetime. This was slightly higher 

than the percentage of males (6.0%). 

Availability

Methamphetamine is readily available 

throughout Washington. Most Washington respondents (45 of 52) to the NDTS 2002 reported that 

methamphetamine was readily available in their 

jurisdictions. Moreover, the DEA Seattle Division 

reported that the drug was readily available 

throughout Washington in FY2001, and the DEA 

Yakima Resident Office reported that methamphetamine was readily available in ounce to multipound quantities in the Yakima Valley area during 

the same year. Methamphetamine produced in 

Washington as well as Mexico, Oregon, California, and southwestern states is available throughout the state; however, no particular type 

dominates. Crystal methamphetamine, a highly 

pure form of the drug known as ice, is also available, primarily in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Seizure data also indicate that methamphetamine is readily available in Washington. According to respondents to the 2002 Northwest High 

Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Threat 

Assessment Survey, state and local law enforcement officials in Washington seized 60 kilograms 

of methamphetamine in FY1998, 145 kilograms 

in FY1999, 282 kilograms in FY2000, and 114 

kilograms in FY2001. In addition, federal law 

enforcement officials in Washington seized 46 

kilograms of methamphetamine in 1998, 48 kilograms in 1999, 58 kilograms in 2000, and 46 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

6

kilograms in 2001, according to the Federal-wide 

Drug Seizure System (FDSS). 

The percentage of federal drug sentences that 

were methamphetamine-related in Washington 

was higher than the national percentage in 

FY2001. According to USSC data, 31.5 percent 

of federal drug sentences in Washington in 

FY2001 were methamphetamine-related compared with 14.2 percent nationally. In addition, 

the number of methamphetamine-related federal 

sentences increased each year from 34 in FY1997 

to 106 in FY2001. 

In 2002 the price of methamphetamine in 

Washington varied depending on the area and 

level of distribution. The DEA Seattle Division 

reported that wholesale quantities of methamphetamine sold for $5,500 to $5,700 per pound in 

Blaine, $3,000 to $5,000 in Seattle, $4,000 to 

$9,000 in Spokane, $3,000 to $10,000 in Tacoma, 

and $3,500 to $10,000 in Yakima. Retail prices of 

methamphetamine also varied throughout the 

state. Methamphetamine sold for $500 to $800 

per ounce in Blaine, $350 to $800 in Seattle, $550 

to $750 in Spokane, $420 to $700 in Tacoma, and 

$300 to $600 in Yakima in 2002. The drug sold 

for $30 to $80 per gram in Blaine, $20 to $60 in 

Seattle, $40 in Spokane, $75 to $80 in Tacoma, 

and $40 in Yakima in 2002. 

The purity of methamphetamine varies in 

Washington. Law enforcement agencies in Washington reported that the purity of methamphetamine ranged from as low as 14 to as high as 46 

percent during 2002. According to the Northwest 

HIDTA, in 2002 the average purity of methamphetamine produced in Washington using the 

Birch reduction method was 95 percent compared 

with an average purity of 75 percent using the 

hydriodic acid/red phosphorus method. In Seattle 

the purity of retail quantities of crystal methamphetamine varied during 2002 but was reported as 

high as 99 percent.

Violence

Methamphetamine-related violence is a significant problem in Washington. The production, 

distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine are 

more commonly associated with violent crime 

than any other drug, and law enforcement agencies throughout the state report that violence 

associated with methamphetamine production, 

distribution, and abuse poses a significant threat 

to their jurisdictions. Moreover, distributors 

throughout the state have committed violent 

crimes to protect their operations.

Methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that 

affects the central nervous system and can induce 

anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, hallucinations, mood 

swings, delusions, and violent behavior, particularly during the “tweaking” stage of abuse.

Methamphetamine Laboratory Violence

In June 2002 King County Sheriff’s Department 

officers arrested two individuals in Maple Valley 

for producing methamphetamine. Another individual arrived at the scene after the arrests were 

made and began shooting at the law enforcement officers, wounding three detectives. The 

individual was fatally shot by law enforcement 

officers during the incident.

Tweaking

As the euphoric effects of methamphetamine 

diminish, abusers enter the tweaking stage in 

which they are prone to violence, delusions, 

paranoia, and feelings of emptiness and dysphoria. During the tweaking stage the user 

often has not slept in days and consequently 

is extremely irritable. The “tweaker” also 

craves more methamphetamine, which results 

in frustration and contributes to anxiety and 

restlessness. In this stage, the methamphetamine user does not need a confrontation or 

provocation to become violent. Case histories 

indicate that tweakers have reacted negatively 

at the mere sight of a police uniform.
National Drug Intelligence Center

7

Methamphetamine abusers have committed violent 

crimes to obtain money to purchase the drug.

OMGs known to distribute methamphetamine 

have committed violent crimes in Washington. In 

June 2000 a member of the Iron Horsemen OMG 

fatally shot a Bandidos OMG member in Yakima 

in a drug dispute. According to law enforcement 

officials in Yakima, both OMGs were involved in 

methamphetamine distribution. In Lakewood the 

Bandidos, Gypsy Jokers, and Iron Horsemen 

OMGs have distributed methamphetamine and 

committed violent crimes, including assault and 

homicide. The Hells Angels and Bandidos OMGs 

have been involved in methamphetamine distribution and violent crimes in Spokane.

Numerous street gangs that distribute methamphetamine also have committed violent crimes 

in Washington. According to responses to the 

NDIC National Gang Survey 2000, street gangs 

involved in methamphetamine distribution in 

Washington include the Varrio Sureño Locos and 

Puro Mexicano Locos in Bellevue, Young Krew 

Piru in Longview, Insane Gangster Crips in Spokane, Maniac Gangster Crips in Thurston County, 

Norteños and Sureños in Vancouver, West Side 

18th Street in Walla Walla, and West Side Hustlaz 

in Yakima. Violent crimes committed by these 

gangs include assault, drive-by shooting, home 

invasion, homicide, and robbery.

Production

Methamphetamine production is increasing 

throughout Washington. According to the 

Northwest HIDTA, federal, state, and local law 

enforcement officials in Washington seized 308 

methamphetamine laboratories in 1998, 525 in 

1999, 831 in 2000, and 939 in 2001. Moreover, 

according to the EPIC Clandestine Laboratory 

Database, 1,043 methamphetamine-related events 

were reported for Washington in 2002. A methamphetamine-related event includes laboratories and 

equipment seized and dumpsites encountered. The 

state ranked third behind California (1,481) and 

Missouri (1,094).

Methamphetamine laboratories in Washington often are established in apartments, garages, 

motel rooms, and private residences as well as in 

mobile conveyances including stolen vehicles. 

Methamphetamine laboratories increasingly are 

being established on public lands such as national 

parks and national and state forests. The number 

of methamphetamine laboratory sites discovered 

by State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 

officers on state trust lands increased from 10 in 

1998 to 36 in 2000. In April 2001 the DNR in conjunction with the Washington State Patrol discovered a methamphetamine laboratory in the Tahoma 

State Forest near Mount Rainier National Park. 

The DNR reported that this methamphetamine 

production site was the second largest ever found 

on state trust lands—the laboratory equipment, 

precursor chemicals, and toxic waste were spread 

over 2 acres. State officials closed the 26,000-acre 

preserve for 6 weeks for cleanup operations.

Caucasian criminal groups and local independent operators—often using the Birch reduction 

method—are the primary producers of methamphetamine in Washington. Mexican criminal 

groups and local independent operators produce 

methamphetamine using the hydriodic acid/red 

Wenatchee Residents Sentenced in 

Teen Overdose Case

A Chelan County Superior Court judge 

sentenced two Wenatchee residents—one in 

March 2002 to 8 years and 6 months in 

prison and another in May 2002 to 10 years 

in prison—for delivery of a controlled substance to a person under 18 years of age. 

The two individuals supplied methamphetamine to a 16-year-old girl from Wenatchee 

who died from a methamphetamine overdose 

in October 2001.

Source: Columbia River Drug Task Force.
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

8

phosphorus method. They also use the iodine/red 

phosphorus method, but to a lesser extent. 

Most of the laboratories seized in Washington 

have been small, capable of producing only 1 to 2 

ounces of methamphetamine per cook. However, 

larger laboratories capable of producing pound 

quantities of methamphetamine also have been 

seized in the state, particularly in the Yakima and 

Tri-City areas. For instance, larger methamphetamine laboratories—operated by Mexican criminal 

groups and capable of producing multipound 

quantities of methamphetamine—have been 

seized in the Tri-City area. In May 2001 law 

enforcement officials in Whitstran (in Benton 

County near the Tri-City area) seized and dismantled a methamphetamine laboratory and seized 34 

pounds of the drug packaged in 34 one-gallon 

plastic storage bags. This methamphetamine laboratory seizure was the largest ever in Benton 

County and resulted from the concerted effort of 

several law enforcement agencies. The Benton 

County Sheriff’s Department, Tri-City Metro 

Drug Task Force (Pasco), Law Enforcement 

Against Drugs Task Force (Zillah), and Washington State Patrol’s Incident Response Team all participated in the investigation of the laboratory site 

and resulting seizure.

Methamphetamine production poses serious 

safety and environmental concerns to Washington. 

The production process creates toxic and hazardous 

waste that endangers law enforcement personnel, 

emergency response teams, children (particularly 

those who reside in the homes of methamphetamine producers), and the environment.

Methamphetamine production often occurs in 

Washington homes, posing a direct threat to the 

safety of children and adults. Because of the presence of caustic and flammable chemicals used in 

Methamphetamine Production Methods

Ephedrine/Pseudoephedrine Reduction:

• Hydriodic acid/red phosphorus. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, 

hydriodic acid, and red phosphorus. This method can yield multipound quantities of high quality

d-methamphetamine and often is associated with Mexican drug trafficking organizations. 

• Iodine/red phosphorus. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, 

iodine, and red phosphorus. The required hydriodic acid in this variation of the hydriodic acid/

red phosphorus method is produced by the reaction of iodine in water with red phosphorus. 

This method yields high quality d-methamphetamine. Another iodine/red phosphorus method, 

limited to small production batches, is called the cold cook method because the chemicals, 

instead of being heated, are placed in a hot environment such as in direct sunlight. 

• Iodine/hypophosphorous acid. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, 

iodine, and hypophosphorous acid. The required hydriodic acid in this variation of the hydriodic 

acid/red phosphorus method is produced by the reaction of iodine in water with hypophosphorous 

acid. Known as the Hypo method, this method yields lower quality d-methamphetamine.

Hypophosphorous acid is more prone than red phosphorus to cause a fire and can produce 

deadly phosphine gas. 

• Birch. The principal chemicals are ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, anhydrous ammonia, 

and sodium or lithium metal. Also known as the Nazi method, this method typically yields ounce 

quantities of high quality d-methamphetamine and often is used by independent dealers and 

producers.

Phenyl-2-propanone:

• P2P. The principal chemicals are phenyl-2-propanone, aluminum, methylamine, and mercuric 

acid. This method yields lower quality dl-methamphetamine and traditionally has been associated 

with OMGs.
National Drug Intelligence Center

9

methamphetamine production, methamphetamine 

laboratories in homes typically result in deplorable conditions that render the home unsafe for its 

residents. In 2001 the state’s Child Protective Services took into custody 228 children who were 

living in residences with methamphetamine laboratories. The average age of the children was

8 years.

Methamphetamine laboratories may contain a 

variety of highly flammable chemicals and produce 

5 to 7 pounds of toxic waste for every pound of 

methamphetamine. Most of the toxic residue from 

methamphetamine production is dumped in the 

local area, often contaminating groundwater and 

killing vegetation. Cleanup of seized laboratories is 

costly and difficult because of the hazardous chemicals used in production, and chemical contamination often is detected at laboratory sites 2 years after 

methamphetamine production has ended.

The number of methamphetamine-related 

cleanup operations has increased in Washington. 

The Washington State Department of Ecology 

(DOE) reported cleanup operations at 789 laboratories and dumpsites in 1999, 1,449 in 2000, 

1,886 in 2001, and 1,568 in 2002. Nearly one-half 

of the cleanup operations in 2001 were in three 

counties in western Washington: Pierce (407), 

King (223), and Thurston (111). Pierce County 

had the most cleanup operations of any county in 

the state during 2002.

Many chemicals can be purchased legally in 

Washington, and precursors frequently are stolen. 

Lithium often is extracted from batteries sold at 

many retail stores, and iodine often is purchased at 

local feed stores. Anhydrous ammonia is purchased by laboratory operators from agricultural 

supply stores and marinas. Thefts of anhydrous 

ammonia also have occurred from farms and farm 

supply stores across the state, especially in eastern 

Washington. The Walla Walla County Sheriff’s 

Department reported at least 25 thefts of anhydrous ammonia during 2000. Ephedrine or pseudoephedrine is commonly extracted from cold pills 

by laboratory operators. In July 2001 the Washington State Legislature implemented a law restricting 

the sale of products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine. However, 

illegal sales continue. In December 2001 two TriCity convenience store owners—one in Kennewick 

and another in Richland—were cited for the illegal 

sale of a product containing ephedrine. The store 

owners allegedly sold bulk quantities of cold medicine containing the drug. Tri-City Metro Drug Task 

Force officers purchased a total of 60 bottles of 

decongestant from the stores in a series of undercover transactions. Precursor and other essential 

chemicals also are smuggled into the state from 

Canada and other states. 

Transportation 

Methamphetamine is transported into Washington primarily from California. Methamphetamine also is transported into the state from Mexico, Oregon, and southwestern states, but to a 

lesser extent. Mexican criminal groups are the 

primary transporters of methamphetamine into 

Anhydrous Ammonia

Anhydrous ammonia commonly is used by 

farmers as a fertilizer. Anhydrous ammonia 

typically is stored as a pressurized liquid in 

large tanks on farm fields. Methamphetamine 

laboratory operators often divert the chemical 

from these tanks by using garden or vacuum 

hoses to siphon the chemical into open containers or empty propane cylinders. Anhydrous 

ammonia also is stolen from agricultural supply stores. Thefts from farms and agricultural 

supply stores have become so frequent in 

some agricultural areas of the country that 

security measures increasingly are being 

employed, including alarms, surveillance cameras, barricades, fencing, motion detectors, 

and special locks on tank valves.
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

10

the state. Caucasian criminal groups, OMGs, and 

Caucasian and Mexican local independent dealers 

also transport methamphetamine into and 

throughout the state.

Methamphetamine typically is transported 

into Washington in private vehicles on I-5 and 

I-82, as well as US 97. Methamphetamine also is 

transported into the state on passenger trains, 

commercial vehicles, commercial and private 

maritime vessels, commercial and private aircraft, 

buses, and via package delivery services. During 

a routine traffic stop in April 2000, the California 

Highway Patrol (CHP) seized more than 3 pounds 

of methamphetamine concealed inside a false 

compartment of a private vehicle driven by a 

Mexican national en route to Tacoma on I-5. In 

February 2000 CHP officers seized nearly 11 

pounds of the drug from a Caucasian male in a 

rental vehicle en route to Washington on I-505—a 

north-south route that connects I-5 and I-80. The 

drug was sealed in plastic, covered with baby 

wipes, and concealed in a backpack. In addition, 

in January 2000 state and local law enforcement 

officials in Seattle under Operation Jetway seized 

more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine from a 

package mailed from Los Angeles and destined 

for Everett.

Methamphetamine also is transported from 

Washington to other states and Canada. Law 

enforcement officials in Washington and other 

states report that multipound quantities of the 

drug are transported from Yakima and, to a lesser 

extent, Spokane and the Tri-City area to Idaho, 

Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, 

Wyoming, and Canada. Methamphetamine most 

commonly is transported from Washington in private vehicles along I-5 and I-90 and US 2 and US 

97. In April 2002 the South Dakota Highway 

Patrol seized 18 pounds of methamphetamine and 

arrested four Mexican nationals who were transporting the drug from Pasco to Illinois via I-90. 

The methamphetamine was concealed in hidden 

compartments in each of the rear doors of the 

vehicle. In September 2000 the Montana Highway Patrol seized more than 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and arrested an illegal Mexican 

national male who was transporting the drug from 

Washington to Bismarck, North Dakota, on I-90. 

The methamphetamine was concealed in the 

speakers of the automobile.

Distribution

Mexican criminal groups are the primary 

wholesale distributors of methamphetamine produced outside the state. Mexican independent 

dealers also distribute wholesale quantities of 

methamphetamine in the state, but to a lesser 

extent. Law enforcement officials in Spokane and 

Yakima report that Mexican independent dealers 

are the primary methamphetamine wholesale 

distributors in those cities. Caucasian criminal 

groups and local independent dealers are the primary wholesale distributors of methamphetamine 

produced in Washington. 

Caucasian criminal groups as well as Caucasian and Mexican local independent dealers are the 

principal retail distributors of methamphetamine in 

In the spring of 2002, United States Customs 

Service (USCS) agents seized 136 pounds of 

pharmaceutical grade ephedrine from a white 

male subject who kayaked to Gooseberry Point 

in Birch Bay. The subject traveled by ferry to 

San Juan Island, then kayaked from the Island 

to the Point where he met up with a female who 

had driven a van to the beach pickup point. 

Upon interviewing the subjects, the agents 

were told that they had made three trips like 

this with similar amounts of ephedrine. The 

male subject also stated that he had taken five 

loads of cocaine into Canada the same way. 

He also advised that he had smuggled pill 

presses into Canada by kayak.

Source: USCS.
National Drug Intelligence Center

11

Washington. Street gangs, primarily African 

American and Mexican, and OMGs also distribute the drug at the retail level. Law enforcement 

officials responding to the NDIC National Gang 

Survey 2000 reported that numerous street gangs 

distribute methamphetamine at the retail level in 

the state. These gangs include Varrio Sureño 

Locos and Puro Mexicano Locos in Bellevue, 

Young Krew Piru in Longview, Insane Gangster 

Crips in Spokane, Maniac Gangster Crips in 

Thurston County, Norteños and Sureños in 

Vancouver, West Side 18th Street in Walla Walla, 

and West Side Hustlaz in Yakima. The Bandidos, 

Gypsy Jokers, and Iron Horsemen OMGs in 

Lakewood and the Bandidos and Hells Angels 

OMGs in Spokane also serve as retail level methamphetamine distributors. 

Methamphetamine packaging varies depending on the amount distributed. Wholesale quantities of methamphetamine are often packaged in 

large plastic storage bags for distribution, while 

retail quantities often are packaged in small plastic bags, cellophane, and wallet-size tins.

Marijuana

Marijuana is the most readily available and 

widely abused illicit drug in Washington. Locally 

produced marijuana is the predominant type available throughout the state. Marijuana produced in 

Canada and Mexico also is available in the state. 

Canada-produced marijuana, commonly known as 

BC Bud, is more readily available in Washington 

than Mexico-produced marijuana. Cannabis cultivation occurs throughout the state and may be 

increasing. Caucasian criminal groups and local 

independent producers are the primary marijuana 

producers in Washington. They also dominate the 

wholesale distribution of the marijuana they produce. Canada-based Asian criminal groups, primarily Vietnamese, and OMGs, primarily Hells 

Angels, as well as Caucasian criminal groups and 

local independent dealers—both Canada- and 

Washington-based—smuggle Canada-produced 

marijuana into Washington for wholesale and 

retail distribution. Mexican criminal groups are 

the dominant transporters and wholesale distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Washington. Criminal groups and local independent 

dealers, both primarily Caucasian, are the principal retail distributors of marijuana produced in 

Canada and Washington. Criminal groups, local 

independent dealers, and street gangs, all of which 

are primarily Mexican, are the principal retail distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana in Washington. Various other criminal groups, local 

independent dealers, and street gangs also distribute marijuana at the retail level.

Abuse

The level of marijuana abuse in Washington is 

high according to law enforcement agencies 

throughout the state. Most Washington respondents to the NDTS 2002 (46 of 53) reported high 

rates of marijuana abuse in their jurisdictions, and 

seven reported medium rates of abuse.

Marijuana-related treatment admissions in 

Washington have increased. The number of treatment admissions for marijuana abuse to publicly 

funded facilities in the state increased from 

SFY1994 (3,143) to SFY2001 (4,647), according 

to the Washington Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Moreover, admission rates per 

100,000 population increased from 59 to 77.8 

during the same period. The number of treatment 

admissions for marijuana abuse in Washington 

exceeded the number for all illicit drugs except 

methamphetamine in SFY2000. National reporting also reveals rising treatment admissions for 

marijuana abuse: according to TEDS data, the 

number of marijuana-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in Washington 

increased from 7,437 in 1997 to 9,811 in 2001. 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

12

(Disparities between state and federal reporting 

regarding admissions to substance abuse treatment programs are likely a result of differences in 

data collection and reporting methodologies.)

According to DAWN data, marijuana-related 

ED mentions decreased in the Seattle metropolitan 

area from 1,663 in 1997 to 808 in 1999, then 

increased to 1,596 in 2001. The Seattle metropolitan area ranked ninth in the number of marijuanarelated ED mentions per 100,000 population 

among the 21 metropolitan areas reporting to 

DAWN in 2001.

Marijuana was commonly abused by adult 

male arrestees in Seattle and Spokane in 2001. 

According to ADAM data, 37.9 percent of adult 

male arrestees in Seattle tested positive for marijuana use in 2001, and 44.9 percent tested positive in Spokane. 

In 1999 the percentage of high school students 

in Seattle who abused marijuana at least once in 

their lifetime was comparable to the percentage 

nationwide. According to YRBS data, 48.6 percent of Seattle high school students reported that 

they had used marijuana at least once during their 

lifetime compared with 47.2 percent nationally. 

Similarly, 26.2 percent of Seattle high school students reported having abused marijuana at least 

once in the 30 days prior to the survey compared 

with 26.7 percent nationally. 

Availability

Marijuana is readily available in Washington. 

Marijuana produced in Washington is the predominant type available throughout the state. Marijuana 

produced in Canada and Mexico is also available; 

however, marijuana produced in Canada is more 

prevalent than that produced in Mexico.

Law enforcement seizure data reflect the 

ready availability of marijuana in Washington. 

According to respondents to the 2002 Northwest 

HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey, state and 

local law enforcement officials in Washington 

seized 2,177 kilograms of marijuana in FY1998, 

1,129 kilograms in FY1999, 7,693 kilograms in 

FY2000, and 5,275 in FY2001. According to 

FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials in 

Washington seized 1,193 kilograms of marijuana 

in 1998, 1,477 kilograms in 1999, 3,304 kilograms in 2000, and 4,164 kilograms in 2001.

The percentage of federal drug sentences in 

Washington that were marijuana-related was 

slightly higher than the national percentage in 

FY2001. According to USSC data, 34.8 percent 

of federal drug sentences in Washington were 

marijuana-related in FY2002 compared with 

32.8 percent nationally. Further, the number of 

Commercial-Grade Marijuana, 

Sinsemilla, and BC Bud

Commercial-grade marijuana typically is produced in Mexico and is less potent than other 

types of marijuana. It often contains the leaves 

and stalks of the cannabis plant, which do not 

have significant levels of THC (the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana). Commercialgrade marijuana typically has an average THC 

content of 5 percent.

Sinsemilla, in Spanish, means without seed. It 

is produced by growing the female cannabis 

plant in an environment without the presence of 

a male cannabis plant. This prevents pollination, 

resulting in an increase in THC levels and bud 

growth. DEA reports that the average THC content of sinsemilla grown indoors is approximately 8 to 10 percent. The average marijuana 

yield for mature sinsemilla is approximately onehalf pound per plant compared with 1 pound per 

plant for commercial-grade marijuana.

BC Bud, which originally referred to sinsemilla 

grown in British Columbia, has become synonymous with any high-grade marijuana from Canada. The THC content of BC Bud ranges from 

15 to 30 percent.
National Drug Intelligence Center

13

marijuana-related federal sentences in Washington 

increased dramatically from 32 in FY1997 to 117 

in FY2001. 

Marijuana prices vary in Washington based 

on where the drug was produced, the quantity 

involved, and the place of distribution. Marijuana 

produced in Canada—commonly known as BC 

Bud—typically has a higher THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content than locally grown sinsemilla or 

Mexico-produced commercial-grade marijuana 

and, therefore, is sold for higher prices. According 

to the DEA Seattle Division, in FY2002 wholesale quantities of marijuana produced in Canada 

sold for $2,500 to $5,000 per pound, domestic 

sinsemilla sold for $1,500 to $5,000 per pound, 

and Mexico-produced marijuana sold for $250 to 

$2,000 per pound. In FY2002 retail quantities of 

domestic sinsemilla sold for approximately $300 

per ounce, BC Bud sold for $125 to $300 per 

ounce, and Mexico-produced marijuana sold for 

approximately $50 per ounce.

Violence

Violence generally is not associated with marijuana abuse; however, violence has been linked to 

the production and distribution of marijuana in 

Washington. Law enforcement officials report that 

cannabis growers sometimes use firearms, guard 

dogs, pipe bombs, and trip wires to secure their 

production sites. According to responses to the 

NDIC National Gang Survey 2000, numerous 

street gangs that distribute marijuana commit violent crimes such as assault, carjacking, drive-by 

shooting, home invasion, and homicide, some of 

which are likely related to their marijuana distribution operations. These gangs include the Highrollers, Rolling 60’s Crips, Puro Mexicano Locos, 

and Varrio Sureño Locos in Bellevue; Tiny Rascal 

Gang in Bellingham; Young Crew Piru in Longview; Black Gangster Disciples in Seattle; Little 

Valley Locals in Sunnyside; Hustlers Crip Gang, 

Hilltop Crips, and Lake City Crips in Lakewood; 

Hilltop Crips in Tacoma; Norteños and Sureños in 

Vancouver; West Side 18th Street in Walla Walla; 

and Chicanos Por Vida in Yakima.

Production

Marijuana produced in Washington, Canada, 

and Mexico is available throughout the state. 

Cannabis is cultivated in Washington at indoor 

and outdoor grow sites. All Washington respondents to the NDTS 2002 reported that cannabis 

was grown both indoors and outdoors in their 

jurisdictions. Moreover, cannabis was seized 

from cultivation sites in 32 of Washington’s 39 

counties in 2001, according to the Western States 

Information Network (WSIN). 

A large percentage of the cannabis cultivation 

in Washington occurs in the western portion of the 

state. Cannabis cultivators often use public lands 

such as national forests and parks, many of which 

are in the western part of the state, as cannabis 

cultivation sites because of their remote locations.

Eradication data indicate that cannabis cultivation in Washington is increasing. According to 

the DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/

Suppression Program (DCE/SP), the number of 

cannabis plants eradicated by law enforcement 

officials in Washington increased from 13,152 in 

1999, to 26,851 in 2000, and to 49,246 in 2001. 

During that period the number of outdoor plots 

eradicated increased from 58 in 1999, to 91 in 

2000, and to 155 in 2001. The number of indoor 

grow operations seized by law enforcement officials in Washington increased from 93 to 140 to 

216 during the same period. In 2001 there were 

23,467 outdoor-cultivated plants eradicated compared with 25,779 indoor-cultivated plants.
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

14

Caucasian criminal groups and local independent Caucasian producers are the primary cannabis cultivators in Washington. Mexican criminal groups and local independent Mexican producers 

also cultivate cannabis in Washington, but to a 

lesser extent.

Transportation

Marijuana produced in Canada frequently is 

smuggled into Washington. Canada-based Asian 

criminal groups, primarily Vietnamese, and OMGs, 

primarily Hells Angels, as well as Caucasian 

criminal groups and local independent dealers 

based in Canada and Washington transport significant quantities of Canada-produced marijuana into 

the state. Canada-based Indian and Pakistani 

criminal groups also smuggle wholesale quantities 

of marijuana into the state, but to a lesser extent. 

Law enforcement officials in Bellingham, Blaine, 

Everson, Lynden, Mount Vernon, and Sumas—

cities located near the U.S.–Canada border—report 

that the smuggling of Canada-produced marijuana 

into and through their jurisdiction is a significant 

problem. In FY2000 the Northern Border Task 

Force in Blaine seized 4,400 pounds of marijuana, 

over twice the amount seized by the task force in 

FY1999. The USBP Spokane and Blaine sectors 

accounted for 4,969 of 7,218 pounds of marijuana 

seized at the U.S.–Canada border in FY2000. Marijuana produced in Canada also is smuggled through 

Washington, primarily Seattle, en route to drug 

markets in surrounding states.

Transporters use a variety of means to smuggle 

Canada-produced marijuana into Washington. 

They commonly smuggle Canada-produced marijuana into the state by private vehicle on I-5, on 

National Forest System roads, and on logging 

roads. Aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, boats, commercial buses, cold drops, commercial trucks, package 

delivery services, horses, kayaks, couriers with 

backpacks, and snowmobiles also are used.In January 2002 USCS agents at the Blaine POE seized 

more than 1,400 pounds of Canada-produced marijuana from a beer truck. The drug was concealed in 

34 hockey equipment bags dispersed among the 

beer. In May 2001 law enforcement officials seized 

nearly 41 pounds of Canada-produced marijuana 

that was being smuggled by boat from Canada to 

Deception Pass State Park in Washington. The 

high-potency marijuana—packaged in half-pound 

quantities in 80 plastic bags and concealed in a 

hockey equipment bag—was to be exchanged for 

cocaine. In February 2001 law enforcement officials seized nearly 300 pounds of Canada-produced marijuana and more than $300,000 and 

arrested two Vietnamese nationals and a Canadian 

citizen at the Swinomish Tribal Casino in Skagit 

County. The Canadian, a tour bus driver, was 

recruited by a Vietnamese criminal group to smuggle the marijuana and money into Washington 

from Canada. The Canada-produced marijuana 

was concealed in the spare tire compartment of the 

bus. In January 2001 U.S. and Canadian law 

enforcement officials seized nearly 300 pounds of 

Canada-produced marijuana and more than 

$400,000 in currency, and arrested 13 individuals 

who had smuggled the drug by helicopter from 

Canada to a remote landing site near Mount Baker, 

Washington. One individual arrested was a member of the Hells Angels OMG. 

Marijuana produced in Mexico also is transported into Washington, but to a lesser extent than 

marijuana produced in Canada. Mexican criminal 

groups—often based in the Seattle-Tacoma area—

are the dominant transporters of Mexico-produced 

marijuana into Washington. These criminal groups 

often transport Mexico-produced marijuana into 

BC Bud Exchanged for Cocaine

Law enforcement agencies situated near the 

U.S.–Canada border area report that Canadian traffickers exchange BC Bud for cocaine. 

These transactions occur on both sides of the 

border. DEA reporting indicates that the 

exchange ratio is about 3 units of marijuana to 

1 unit of cocaine.
National Drug Intelligence Center

15

the state by private vehicle on I-5 and US 97 and 

US 101. Mexican criminal groups also use commercial and private aircraft, boats, buses, trains, and 

package delivery services to transport Mexicoproduced marijuana into the state, but to a lesser 

extent. 

Distribution

Various criminal groups, local independent 

dealers, and OMGs conduct wholesale marijuana 

distribution in Washington. Caucasian criminal 

groups and local independent Caucasian dealers 

are the primary wholesale distributors of Canadaproduced marijuana. These criminal groups and 

dealers typically are supplied by Canada-based 

Asian criminal groups, primarily Vietnamese, and 

the Hells Angels OMG. Caucasian criminal 

groups and local independent Caucasian dealers 

also are the primary wholesale distributors of 

marijuana produced in Washington. Mexican 

criminal groups and local independent Mexican 

dealers are the principal wholesale distributors of 

the Mexico-produced marijuana available in the 

state. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent Caucasian dealers also distribute wholesale quantities of Mexico-produced marijuana, 

but to a lesser extent. 

Retail level marijuana distribution in Washington is conducted by various criminal groups, 

local independent dealers, and street gangs. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent 

dealers are the primary retail distributors of marijuana produced in Washington and Canada. Street 

gangs and African American criminal groups also 

distribute retail quantities of marijuana produced 

in the state and in Canada. Asian criminal groups 

also distribute retail quantities of Canada-produced 

marijuana, but to a limited extent. Mexican 

criminal groups, local independent dealers, and 

street gangs are the principal retail distributors 

of Mexico-produced marijuana. 

Marijuana packaging varies depending on the 

amount distributed. Marijuana produced in Canada typically is packaged in 1-pound quantities in 

large plastic storage bags. The USBP Blaine Sector reports that these packages frequently have 

grades or ratings on them such as A+, A, A-, B+, 

B, B-, etc., indicating the quality of the drug. 

Retail quantities of all types of marijuana commonly are packaged in plastic sandwich bags.

Cocaine

Cocaine also is a significant threat to Washington. Powdered cocaine is readily available throughout Washington. Abuse of the drug is common, and 

powdered cocaine is abused more frequently than 

crack cocaine. Crack cocaine is generally not available outside the major metropolitan areas of 

Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. Mexican criminal 

groups are the predominant transporters and 

wholesale distributors of powdered cocaine in the 

state. These groups transport wholesale quantities 

of powdered cocaine from Mexico and California 

into and throughout Washington. Powdered 

cocaine is transported from and through Washington, primarily Seattle, to drug markets in other 

states and Canada. Criminal groups, local independent dealers, and street gangs, all of which are primarily Mexican, are the principal retail powdered 

cocaine distributors in Washington. 

Abuse

Cocaine abuse is common in Washington. 

Powdered cocaine is abused more frequently than 

crack cocaine. Nine of 52 Washington respondents to the NDTS 2002 reported high rates of 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

16

powdered cocaine abuse in their jurisdictions, 

while 30 reported medium rates of abuse, and 13 

reported low rates of abuse. In comparison, 12 of 

47 law enforcement agencies reported that rates 

of crack cocaine abuse were high in their jurisdictions, 17 reported medium rates of abuse, and 18 

reported low rates of abuse.

Cocaine-related treatment admissions in 

Washington are exhibiting a slight downward 

trend. According to Washington Division of 

Alcohol and Substance Abuse data, the number of 

treatment admissions for cocaine abuse to publicly funded facilities in the state fluctuated from 

SFY1994 (3,046) through SFY1999 (3,854), then 

decreased to 3,779 in SFY2000 and 3,575 in 

SFY2001. According to TEDS data, the number 

of cocaine-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in Washington increased 

from 4,695 in 1997 to 5,406 in 1999, then 

decreased to 4,531 in 2001. (Disparities between 

state and federal reporting regarding admissions 

to substance abuse treatment programs are likely 

a result of differences in data collection and 

reporting methodologies.)

Although cocaine-related treatment admissions in the state appear to be decreasing, cocainerelated ED mentions in the Seattle metropolitan 

area have increased. According to DAWN data, 

the number of cocaine-related ED mentions in the 

Seattle metropolitan area increased from 2,850 in 

1997 to 3,410 in 2001. The Seattle metropolitan 

area ranked eighth in the number of cocainerelated ED mentions per 100,000 population 

among the 21 metropolitan areas reporting to 

DAWN in 2001. 

Cocaine-related deaths in the Seattle metropolitan area increased over the past several years. 

According to DAWN mortality data, the number 

of cocaine-related deaths decreased from 81 in 

1996 to 74 in 1997. Thereafter, cocaine-related 

deaths increased each year to 104 in 2000. Of the 

cocaine-related deaths in 2000, 31 were cocaineinduced (overdoses). 

Cocaine was commonly abused by adult male 

arrestees in Seattle and Spokane in 2001. According to ADAM data, 32.0 percent of adult male 

arrestees in Seattle tested positive for cocaine use in 

2001, and 18.5 percent tested positive in Spokane. 

Availability

Powdered cocaine is generally available 

throughout Washington. In response to the NDTS 

2002, 26 of 52 Washington respondents reported 

that powdered cocaine was readily available in 

their jurisdictions. Crack cocaine is readily available in larger urban areas such as Seattle, Spokane, 

and Tacoma.

The amount of cocaine seized in Washington 

decreased from 1998 to 2000, then increased significantly in 2001 due in large part to a more than 

2,500-kilogram seizure. (See text box on page 18.) 

According to the 2002 Northwest HIDTA Threat 

Assessment Survey, state and local law enforcement officials in Washington seized 230 kilograms 

of cocaine in 1998, 117 kilograms in 1999, 93 kilograms in 2000, and 2,671 kilograms in 2001. Federal seizure reporting follows this trend. According 

to FDSS data, federal law enforcement officials in 

Washington seized 152 kilograms of cocaine in 

1998, 108 kilograms in 1999, 58 kilograms in 2000, 

and 174 kilograms in 2001.

According to USSC data, the number of federal drug sentences that were cocaine-related was 

higher than for any other drug each year from 

FY1997 through FY2000; however, in FY2001 

sentences for marijuana and methamphetamine 

surpassed cocaine-related sentences. There were 

125 cocaine-related federal sentences in FY1997, 

70 in FY1998, 73 in FY1999, 84 in FY2000, and 

68 in FY2001. In FY2001 the percentage of federal drug sentences in Washington that were 

cocaine-related (20.3%) was lower than the 

national percentage (42.5%). Powdered cocainerelated federal sentences in Washington were 
National Drug Intelligence Center

17

more common than crack cocaine-related federal 

sentences; in FY2001, 14.3 percent (48) of drugrelated federal sentences were for powdered 

cocaine compared with 6.0 percent (20) that were 

crack-related. 

Cocaine prices and purity levels varied 

throughout Washington in FY2002. According to 

the DEA Seattle Division, powdered cocaine sold 

for $10,000 to $24,000 in Seattle, $20,000 to 

$22,000 in Spokane, $19,000 to $22,000 in 

Tacoma, and $16,000 to $20,000 in Yakima in 

FY2002. Retail quantities of powdered cocaine 

sold for $520 to $1,100 per ounce and $30 to $60 

per gram in Washington in the same year. Crack 

cocaine sold for $650 to $1,000 per ounce in the 

state in FY2002. Retail quantities of crack sold for 

$50 to $60 per gram in Seattle, $20 per rock in 

Spokane, and $10 to $20 per bag in Tacoma in the 

same year. Purity levels of powdered cocaine in 

Washington ranged from as low as 50 to as high as 

85 percent in FY2002, while purity levels of crack 

ranged from 75 to 96 percent.

Violence

Violent criminal activity in Washington has 

been linked to cocaine distribution, particularly 

the distribution of crack cocaine. Numerous street 

gangs in Washington that distribute powdered 

cocaine and crack also commit violent crimes 

such as assault, bank robbery, carjacking, driveby shooting, home invasion, and homicide, some 

of which are related to their cocaine distribution 

operations. According to responses to the NDIC 

National Gang Survey 2000, these gangs include 

the Highrollers, Rolling 60’s Crips, Varrio Sureño 

Locos, and Puro Mexicano Locos in Bellevue; 

Black Gangster Disciples, Hilltop Crips, Lake 

City Crips, and Lakewood Hustlers Crips in 

Lakewood; Maniac Gangster Crips in Olympia; 

Black Gangster Disciples in Seattle; Black Gangster Disciples, Insane Gangster Crips, Palm & 

Oak, Palmer Block Crips, Play Boy Gangster 

Crips, Rolling 20’s Crips, 83rd Street Gangster 

Crips, and 104 Underground in Spokane; Hilltop 

Crips in Tacoma; West Side 18th Street in Walla 

Walla; and Little Valley Locos and West Side 

Hustlaz in Yakima.

Production

Coca is not cultivated nor is cocaine produced 

in Washington. Cocaine is produced in South 

America, primarily Colombia. Retail distributors, 

however, convert powdered cocaine into crack or 

recook the crack at or near distribution sites within 

the state. 

Transportation

Mexican criminal groups are the predominant 

transporters of powdered cocaine into Washington. These groups transport wholesale quantities 

of powdered cocaine from Mexico and California 

into and throughout the state. Criminal groups, 

street gangs, and local independent dealers— 

African American or Caucasian—as well as 

Mexican local independent dealers and OMGs 

also transport powdered cocaine into and throughout Washington, but to a lesser extent. African 

American criminal groups, street gangs, and local 

independent African American dealers are the 

principal transporters of small amounts of crack 

cocaine into Washington. Caucasian and Mexican 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

18

local independent dealers also transport crack 

cocaine, but to a lesser extent.

Powdered cocaine generally is transported into 

Washington in private vehicles via I-5, I-82, and 

I-90. Powdered cocaine also is transported into the 

state on passenger trains, commercial and private 

vessels, commercial and private aircraft, buses, 

and via package delivery services. In 2000 the 

Northwest HIDTA reported that a Seattle-based 

Mexican criminal group transported as much as 30 

kilograms of cocaine per month into the state in 

private vehicles. In addition, in March 2000 Operation Jetway Task Force officers in Portland, Oregon, seized 255 grams of cocaine and $8,100 in 

currency and arrested a Caucasian male who had 

traveled from Stockton, California, to Spokane via 

passenger rail service. The drugs and currency 

were concealed in the man’s baggage. 

Powdered cocaine also is transported from and 

through Washington, primarily Seattle, to drug 

markets in other states and Canada. Transportation 

routes for cocaine transiting Washington include 

I-5 to Canada and I-90 and US 2, which connect 

Washington to Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, 

and states farther east. In June 2000 the Newark 

Police Department seized 5 kilograms of cocaine 

and $25,000 in currency and arrested an individual traveling in a private vehicle from Seattle to 

Newark. In April 2000 the Sangamon County 

Sheriff’s Office in Illinois seized 6 kilograms of 

cocaine from an individual traveling in a rental 

vehicle en route from Seattle to Detroit. The drugs 

were wrapped in cellophane, covered in grease, 

and concealed inside luggage. 

Distribution

Mexican criminal groups are the primary 

wholesale powdered cocaine distributors in 

Washington. African American and Caucasian 

criminal groups and local independent dealers 

also distribute wholesale quantities of powdered 

cocaine in Washington. Seattle is the major distribution center in the state, and Tacoma, Yakima, 

and the Tri-City area are principal distribution 

points. Mexican criminal groups operating in the 

Yakima and Tri-City areas supply most of the 

powdered cocaine available in the Spokane area. 

Crack cocaine typically is not distributed in 

wholesale quantities within Washington. 

Mexican criminal groups, local independent 

dealers, and street gangs are the principal retail 

powdered cocaine distributors in Washington. 

African American criminal groups, local independent dealers, and street gangs are the primary retail 

crack cocaine distributors in Washington. Retail 

quantities of powdered and crack cocaine typically 

are distributed at open-air drug markets in urban 

areas such as Seattle and Tacoma, and at indoor 

locations in smaller cities and rural areas. Retail 

quantities of powdered and crack cocaine often are 

packaged in plastic or small cellophane bags. 

Massive Seizure of Cocaine From 

Canadian Vessel

In February 2001 the U.S. Coast Guard 

(USCG) seized more than 2,500 kilograms of 

cocaine from a Canada-flagged tuna trawler 

transiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the 

coast of Washington. The cocaine was concealed in 101 bales, each weighing more than 

20 kilograms. The bales were labeled azucar, 

the Spanish word for sugar.

Source: USCG.
National Drug Intelligence Center

19

Heroin

Heroin poses a significant problem to Washington, particularly in larger cities such as Seattle, 

Tacoma, and Yakima. The drug is readily available, 

and heroin abuse is a significant problem. Violence 

associated with heroin distribution and abuse is a 

concern to law enforcement officials. Mexican 

black tar heroin is the predominant type available 

in the state. Mexican criminal groups are the dominant transporters of heroin into and through the 

state. These groups transport the drug primarily 

from Mexico and California into Washington and 

are the primary wholesale heroin distributors in the 

state. Mexican local independent dealers are the 

primary retail heroin distributors.

Abuse

Heroin abuse is a significant problem in Washington, particularly in larger cities such as Seattle, 

Tacoma, and Yakima. According to the Washington Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, the 

number of treatment admissions for heroin abuse 

to publicly funded facilities increased each year 

from 2,083 in SFY1994 to 3,664 in SFY2000, then 

deceased to 3,172 in SFY2001. Admission rates 

per 100,000 population also increased each year 

from 39 to 62.2 in SFY2000, then deceased to 53.1 

in SFY2001. According to TEDS data, the number 

of heroin-related treatment admissions to publicly 

funded facilities in Washington increased each 

year from 6,118 in 1997 to 6,889 in 1999, then 

decreased to 5,965 in 2001. (Disparities between 

state and federal reporting regarding admissions to 

substance abuse treatment programs are likely a 

result of differences in data collection and reporting methodologies.)

In the Seattle metropolitan area, heroinrelated ED mentions have decreased over the past 

several years. The number of heroin-related ED 

mentions decreased from 2,894 in 1997 to 1,927 

in 2001. The Seattle metropolitan area ranked 

ninth in the number of heroin-related ED mentions per 100,000 population among the 21 metropolitan areas reporting to DAWN in 2001. 

The number of deaths in which heroin was a 

factor in the Seattle metropolitan area also 

decreased from 150 in 1996 to 118 in 2000, 

according to DAWN mortality data. In spite of 

this decrease, heroin was a factor in more drugrelated deaths in 2000 than any other illicit drug. 

Of the heroin-related deaths reported in 2000, 16 

were heroin-induced (overdoses).

A significant number of adult male arrestees in 

Seattle and Spokane abused heroin in 2001. According to ADAM data, 10.3 percent of adult male 

arrestees tested positive for heroin use in Seattle in 

2001, and 8.1 percent tested positive in Spokane.

In 1999 the percentage of Seattle high school 

students who reported having abused heroin at 

least once in their lifetime was comparable to the 

national percentage. According to responses to 

the 1999 YRBS, 2.8 percent of high school students in Seattle reported that they had used heroin 

at least once during their lifetime compared with 

2.4 percent nationally. In addition, the percentage 

(3.1%) of female high school students in Seattle 

who reported that they had used heroin at least 

once during their lifetime was higher than the 

percentage (2.1%) of males.

Availability

Heroin is readily available throughout Washington, particularly in Seattle, Tacoma, and Yakima. Mexican black tar heroin is the predominant type. Approximately 95 percent of heroin 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

20

purchased in Seattle in 2000 under the auspices of 

the DEA Domestic Monitor Program (DMP) was 

Mexican black tar. Mexican brown powdered, 

Southeast Asian, and Southwest Asian heroin 

also are available, but in very limited quantities. 

The amount of heroin seized in Washington 

has fluctuated in recent years. According to 

respondents to the 2002 Northwest HIDTA Threat 

Assessment survey, state and local law enforcement officials in Washington seized 39 kilograms 

of heroin in FY1998, 24 kilograms in FY1999, 30 

kilograms in FY2000, and 11 kilograms in 

FY2001. According to FDSS data, federal law 

enforcement officials in Washington seized 14 

kilograms of heroin in 1998, 27 kilograms in 1999, 

14 kilograms in 2000, and 15 kilograms in 2001.

The percentage of federal drug sentences in 

Washington that were heroin-related was higher 

than the national percentage in FY2001. According to USSC data, 11.9 percent of federal drug 

sentences in Washington were heroin-related in 

FY2001 compared with 7.2 percent nationally. 

Heroin-related federal sentences decreased from 

20 in FY1997 to 16 in FY1998. Thereafter, 

heroin-related federal sentences increased to 19 

in FY1999, to 26 in FY2000, and then to 40 in 

FY2001.

The price and purity of Mexican black tar heroin varies throughout the state. According to the 

DEA Seattle Division, in FY2002 Mexican black 

tar heroin sold for $35,000 to $45,000 per kilogram in Seattle and $12,000 to $16,000 per kilogram in Tacoma. During that same time frame, 25 

grams or “piece” quantities of heroin sold for 

$400 to $800 in Seattle, $300 to $800 in Tacoma, 

and $500 to $700 in Yakima. In FY2002 retail 

quantities of heroin sold for $50 to $100 per gram 

in Seattle, $180 per gram in Spokane, and $80 to 

$100 per gram in Tacoma. Purity levels of retail 

quantities of heroin ranged from as low as 5 to as 

high as 70 percent in Washington in FY2002.

Violence

Violence has been associated with heroin distribution and abuse in Washington. According to 

responses to the NDIC National Gang Survey 

2000, several street gangs that are involved in 

heroin distribution also have committed violent 

crimes such as assault, drive-by shooting, and 

home invasion, some of which were related to 

their heroin distribution operations. These gangs 

include the Norteños and Sureños in Vancouver 

and the West Side 18th Street in Walla Walla. 

In January 2002 a West Seattle resident 

pleaded guilty to five counts of robbery—four 

bank robberies and one carjacking involving a 

woman and her two children during an attempt to 

flee after a robbery. The perpetrator told law 

enforcement officials he robbed banks to support 

his heroin addiction. In October 2001 another Seattle resident pleaded guilty to four bank robberies 

during the summer of 2001 in the Seattle area. This 

perpetrator also told law enforcement officials he 

robbed banks to support his heroin addiction.

Production

Opium is not cultivated nor is heroin produced 

in Washington. Heroin is produced in four primary source regions: Mexico, South America, 

Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia. Most of the 

heroin available in Washington is produced in 

Mexico; however, a very limited amount of Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin is available.
National Drug Intelligence Center

21

Transportation

Mexican criminal groups are the dominant 

transporters of wholesale quantities of Mexican 

black tar and brown powdered heroin into Washington. These groups transport the drug primarily 

from Mexico and California into the SeattleTacoma area and Yakima. Mexican independent 

dealers also transport heroin into the state from 

California.

Heroin transporters use a variety of means to 

transport the drug into the state. Mexican criminal 

groups primarily transport Mexican black tar and 

brown powdered heroin to Washington in private 

vehicles on I-5 and US 97 and 101. They also use 

commercial flights, buses, boats, passenger 

trains, and private courier services.

Heroin transporters use Washington as a 

transshipment point for heroin destined for other 

states and Canada. Mexican black tar heroin 

reportedly has been transported from Seattle and 

Yakima to drug markets in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and British 

Columbia, Canada. Shipments of Southeast Asian 

and Southwest Asian heroin transit through the 

Puget Sound commercial port facilities to drug 

markets on the East Coast. 

Distribution

Mexican criminal groups are the dominant 

wholesale distributors of Mexican black tar heroin in Washington. Seattle and Yakima are primary distribution centers for heroin in the state, 

according to the Northwest HIDTA.

Mexican local independent dealers are the 

primary retail heroin distributors in Washington. 

Criminal groups, street gangs, and local independent dealers, primarily African American and 

Caucasian, also distribute heroin at the retail level 

in the state.

Heroin generally is sold at the retail level at 

open-air drug markets. One such open-air market, 

known as the Blade, is located in a section of 

Seattle frequented by tourists, according to the 

Northwest HIDTA. Retail quantities of heroin often 

are distributed in small, clear cellophane bags.

Other Dangerous Drugs

With the exception of MDMA, other dangerous drugs (ODDs) present a low but increasing 

threat to Washington. MDMA is readily available 

and abused in Washington. ODDs include the 

stimulant MDMA, the hallucinogens LSD and 

psilocybin, and the depressant GHB and its analogs. Various criminal groups transport these 

ODDs to Washington via private vehicles, 

Raves

Throughout the 1990s high energy, all-night dances known as raves, which feature techno-music and 

flashing laser lights, increased in popularity among teens and young adults. Raves typically occur in 

either permanent dance clubs or temporary “weekend event” sites set up in abandoned warehouses, 

open fields, empty buildings, or civic centers. Club drugs are a group of synthetic drugs often sold at 

raves and dance clubs. MDMA is one of the most popular club drugs. Rave managers often sell water, 

pacifiers, and glow sticks at rave parties. “Ravers” require water to offset dehydration caused by MDMA 

abuse, use pacifiers to avoid grinding their teeth—a common side effect of MDMA abuse—and wave 

glow sticks in front of their eyes because MDMA stimulates light perception.
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

22

commercial aircraft, couriers on foot entering the 

United States from Canada, and package delivery 

services. Many of these drugs are sold and abused 

by middle-class, suburban, young adults at raves 

and nightclubs and on college campuses. Several 

Internet web sites advertise weekly rave events in 

Washington and surrounding states, and the 

number of rave parties, where these drugs often 

are distributed, is increasing. Diverted pharmaceuticals such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), and 

methadone (Dolophine) also pose a low but 

increasing threat.

Stimulants

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as Adam, ecstasy, XTC, E, 

and X, is a stimulant and low-level hallucinogen. 

The drug was patented in 1914 in Germany where 

it was sometimes given to psychiatric patients to 

assist in psychotherapy, a practice never approved 

by the American Psychological Association or the 

Food and Drug Administration. MDMA, sometimes called the hug drug, is said to make users 

“feel good”; they claim that the drug helps them to 

be more “in touch” with others and that it “opens 

channels of communication.” However, abuse of 

the drug can cause psychological problems similar 

to those associated with methamphetamine and 

cocaine abuse, including confusion, depression, 

sleeplessness, anxiety, and paranoia. Negative 

physical effects can also result, including muscle 

tension, involuntary teeth clenching, blurred 

vision, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. MDMA abuse can also cause a marked 

increase in body temperature leading to muscle 

breakdown, kidney failure, cardiovascular system 

failure, stroke, or seizure as reported in some fatal 

cases. Researchers suggest that MDMA abuse 

may result in long-term and sometimes permanent 

damage to parts of the brain that are critical to 

thought and memory.

MDMA is readily available and abused by 

teenagers and young adults in Washington, particularly in Olympia, Seattle, Spokane, and surrounding areas. In November 2000 Harborview 

Medical Center in Seattle treated six young adults 

for MDMA overdose following a single rave 

event. In addition, the King County Medical 

Examiner’s office reported two MDMA-related 

deaths in 2001.

MDMA is smuggled into Washington from 

Canada and Europe by several means. MDMA 

transporters use couriers on foot entering the 

United States from Canada, couriers traveling on 

commercial aircraft, private vehicles, and package 

delivery services. In November 2001 federal

prosecutors in Seattle indicted a female courier 

who had transported 110,000 MDMA tablets from 

London to Seattle on a commercial aircraft. During July 2001 USBP officers seized more than 

90,000 MDMA tablets that had been left along a 

trail near the town of Sumas, located on the U.S.–

Canada border, by one trafficker for pickup by 

another. The MDMA was concealed in hockey 

equipment bags and commingled with 67 pounds 

of high potency marijuana.

Washington is a transshipment point for 

MDMA being transported to other states. According to the DEA Seattle Division, MDMA is transported from Seattle and, to a lesser extent, from 

Raves in Seattle

Raves in Seattle commonly are called massives because of the large number of attendees. At least five massives were held from 

November 2000 to March 2002, and the number of attendees ranged from approximately 

8,000 to 12,000 per event. These raves are not 

underground or secretive; they are organized, 

commercial events with online ticketing and 

onsite security. MDMA is sold at these raves in 

personal use amounts. 
National Drug Intelligence Center

23

Spokane and Tacoma to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, 

North Dakota, and Utah. In the second quarter of 

2001, the Anchorage Police Department seized 

77 MDMA tablets that had been concealed in an 

aspirin bottle and sent from Seattle by mail. Also 

in the second quarter of 2001, law enforcement 

officials in Prince William County, Virginia, 

seized more than 5,000 MDMA tablets and 

arrested several individuals who had transported 

the drugs via private vehicle from Seattle to 

northwestern Virginia. The MDMA tablets were 

stamped with a Rolex logo. In July 2000 during a 

routine traffic stop, the Utah Highway Patrol 

seized 400 grams of MDMA and arrested two 

individuals who were transporting the drug from 

Seattle to Orem, Utah.

Caucasian local independent dealers and, to a 

lesser extent, Asian criminal groups, are the primary wholesale and retail distributors of MDMA in 

Washington. Many retail level MDMA distributors 

are middle- and upper-middle class Caucasian high 

school or college age students. MDMA typically is 

distributed at colleges, raves, nightclubs, and private parties.In January 2002 federal and local law 

enforcement authorities in Seattle arrested 29 individuals who allegedly distributed more than 50,000 

MDMA tablets per week from a local nightclub. In 

May 2001 the Quad Cities Drug Task Force seized 

nearly 40 MDMA tablets and arrested four Washington State University students in Pullman. The 

students were members of two fraternities and had 

distributed the drug from their fraternity houses to 

university and high school students. MDMA distributed in Washington often is stamped with a 

brand name or a logo. According to DEA, in the 

fourth quarter of FY2002 MDMA sold for $11 to 

$25 per tablet in Seattle and $20 to $25 in Blaine.

Hallucinogens

LSD. The distribution and abuse of LSD 

(lysergic acid diethylamide) pose a low threat to 

Washington. LSD, also known as acid, boomers, 

and yellow sunshine, is a hallucinogen that induces 

abnormalities in sensory perceptions. The effects of 

LSD are unpredictable depending upon the amount 

taken, the environment in which it is abused, and 

the abuser’s personality, mood, and expectations. 

Abusers may feel the immediate effects for up to 

12 hours. The physical effects include dilated 

pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart 

rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, 

nausea, numbness, weakness, insomnia, dry mouth, 

and tremors. Two long-term disorders associated 

with LSD are persistent psychosis and flashbacks. 

Typically, the drug is taken orally.

LSD is sold primarily at raves, bars, and 

nightclubs in large cities and college towns in 

Washington. The hallucinogen is available in 

powder and liquid forms, in tablets or capsules, 

on pieces of blotter paper that absorb the drug, 

and on small candies. Most abusers are high 

school and college age individuals, some of 

whom hide liquid LSD in breath mint vials or 

eyedrop bottles. According to DEA Seattle 

Division, blotter LSD is the most prevalent type 

available in Seattle and Tacoma. In FY2002 blotter paper with 100 dosage units of LSD sold for 

about $100 in Seattle and $200 to $300 in 

Tacoma. A vial of 110 dosage units sold for $80 

to $100 in Seattle, and single dosage units sold 

for $3 to $8 in Seattle and $2 to $3 in Tacoma.

Most LSD distributed in Washington is produced in California and Oregon, and typically is 

transported into the state by local independent 

dealers in private vehicles. Caucasian college and 

high school students are the principal retail distributors of the drug. In March 2001 law enforcement 

officials at a local rave event in Bellingham seized 

150 doses of LSD and arrested one individual. 

Psilocybin. Also known as cubes, liberty 

caps, magic mushrooms, mushies, mushrooms, 

psilocybes, and shrooms, psilocybin poses a relatively low drug threat to Washington. Psilocybin 

is the psychoactive ingredient found in certain 

mushrooms, notably two Mexican species—
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

24

Psilocybe mexicana and Stropharia cubensis. 

Psilocybin produces effects similar to those of 

LSD. The hallucinogenic effects of the drug begin 

within 20 to 30 minutes of ingestion and last about 

6 hours, depending primarily on dosage.

Psilocybin cultivated in Washington is the 

primary type available; however, psilocybin from 

sources outside the state is also available. Caucasian local independent dealers are the primary 

producers, transporters, and distributors of psilocybin in Washington. These dealers often use 

package delivery services and private vehicles to 

transport psilocybin to drug markets in Washington. Psilocybin typically is distributed on college 

campuses. In May 2001 law enforcement officials 

in Pullman seized more than one-quarter pound 

of psilocybin and arrested four college students 

who distributed the drug from fraternity houses. 

Psilocybin sells for approximately $150 per 

ounce. Psilocybin spores are sold for as little as 

$10 by companies over the Internet. In the first 

quarter of 2001, as part of an investigation, DEA 

Seattle Division agents purchased five spores for 

$50 via the Internet. 

Depressants

GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and its analogs pose a low drug threat to Washington. GHB is 

a depressant that occurs naturally in the body and 

is necessary for complete functioning of the brain 

and central nervous system. GHB analogs are 

drugs that possess chemical structures that closely 

resemble GHB. GHB and its analogs are also 

known as liquid MDMA, scoop, grievous bodily 

harm, and Georgia homeboy. GHB and its analogs 

have been increasingly involved in poisonings, 

overdoses, and fatalities nationwide. Overdoses 

can occur quickly; some signs include drowsiness, 

nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, impaired 

breathing, and sometimes death. GHB and its analogs often are used in the commission of drugfacilitated sexual assault because of their sedative 

properties. The drugs are eliminated from the 

body quickly, which makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to detect them using blood and 

urine screenings. In November 2000 hospital officials in Seattle treated three individuals for GHB 

overdose following a rave event.

GHB is sold and abused in Washington commonly at social venues such as bars, nightclubs, 

and raves. Young adults, usually Caucasian, are 

the principal distributors and abusers of the drug. 

Recipes and do-it-yourself kits for GHB production are available from many Internet sites. GHB 

analogs are available at disreputable health food 

stores, gyms, and via the Internet. GHB is sold in 

liquid quantities in small breath mint bottles containing approximately 100 dosage units and selling for $100.

Diverted Pharmaceuticals

Diverted pharmaceuticals pose a low but 

increasing threat to Washington. The most commonly diverted pharmaceuticals in Washington 

are opiates, including oxycodone (OxyContin), 

hydrocodone (Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and methadone (Dolophine). These drugs are 

narcotic pain relievers prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. Codeine, fentanyl, meperidine, 

pentazocine, and propoxyphene also are abused 

but to a lesser extent.These drugs commonly are 

prescribed to relieve anxiety and muscle spasms. 

According to the Washington Division of 

Alcohol and Substance Abuse, the number of 

admissions to publicly funded treatment facilities 

in the state for abuse of opiates other than heroin 

increased overall from 259 in SFY1999 to 399 in 

SFY2000. 
National Drug Intelligence Center

25

Pharmaceuticals are diverted in a variety of 

ways in Washington, including pharmacy diversion, “doctor shopping,” and improper prescribing 

practices by physicians. Pharmacy diversion occurs 

when pharmacy employees steal products from the 

shelves or through prescription forgeries. Diversion 

through doctor shopping occurs when individuals, 

who may or may not have a legitimate ailment, 

visit numerous physicians to obtain drugs in excess 

of what should legitimately be prescribed. Law 

enforcement authorities report that some abusers 

also obtain OxyContin legally from suppliers in 

Canada and smuggle it into Washington. 

In February 2002 the Northwest Drug Task Force 

in Bellingham reported that Native Americans 

from the Lumni Reservation purchase OxyContin 

in Canada and transport it to Washington for personal use and limited distribution.

Pharmaceutical abuse has led to an increased 

number of pharmacy and residential burglaries, 

shoplifting incidents, and healthcare fraud 

incidents in Washington. Law enforcement 

authorities with the Clark-Skamania Narcotics 

Task Force, Columbia River Drug Task Force, 

Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police 

Department, and Washington State Patrol report 

increased rates of pharmacy and residential burglaries within their jurisdictions. According to 

DEA, in the fourth quarter of FY2002 most 

diverted pharmaceuticals sold for $5 to $10 per 

tablet or dosage unit, and OxyContin sold for 

$1 per milligram.

Outlook

Methamphetamine will continue to pose a primary drug threat to Washington. The production, 

distribution, and abuse of the drug likely will 

increase in most areas of the state. Methamphetamine-related violent crimes will continue to be 

the most significant drug-related threat to public 

safety and law enforcement officers. The increase 

in methamphetamine laboratories will continue to 

pose environmental hazards, tax government budgets, and present safety hazards to law enforcement officers. Caucasian criminal groups and local 

independent dealers will remain the primary producers of methamphetamine in Washington. However, Mexican criminal groups likely will increase 

the amount produced at larger laboratory sites, 

particularly in the Yakima and Tri-City areas, as 

demand for the drug grows. Mexican criminal 

groups will remain the primary wholesale distributors of methamphetamine transported into Washington from California, Oregon, and Mexico.

Marijuana is likely to continue as the primary 

drug of abuse in Washington and will continue to 

be readily available throughout the state. Marijuana production in Washington will continue to 

increase, particularly at outdoor grow sites. The 

amount of Canada-produced marijuana smuggled 

into Washington likely will increase as the 

demand for higher potency marijuana increases 

throughout the United States. Canada-based Asian 

criminal groups, primarily Vietnamese gangs, and 

Canada-based OMGs, primarily Hells Angels, as 

well as Canada- and Washington-based Caucasian 

criminal groups and local independent dealers will 

remain the principal smugglers and wholesale distributors of Canada-produced marijuana in Washington. Mexican criminal groups will continue to 

be the principal transporters and wholesale distributors of Mexico-produced marijuana. Caucasian 

criminal groups and local independent dealers 

most likely will remain the primary producers, 

transporters, and distributors of marijuana produced in Washington.

Cocaine likely will remain a significant threat 

to Washington. Powdered cocaine will continue to 

Hospital Administrator Charged With 

Forging Prescriptions

In April 2001 law enforcement authorities in 

Olympia arrested a hospital administrator who 

had forged more than 80 prescriptions for OxyContin from 1998 through March 2001 for his 

own use. The forged prescriptions were filled at 

nine pharmacies throughout the Olympia area.

Source: Lacey Police Department. 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

26

be readily available throughout the state, and 

crack cocaine will continue to be readily available 

in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. Mexican criminal groups with well-developed supply and distribution networks likely will remain the principal 

wholesale cocaine distributors in Washington.

Heroin likely will continue to present a serious 

threat to Washington, particularly in major cities 

such as Seattle, Tacoma, and Yakima. Mexican 

black tar heroin will remain the predominant type 

available in the state. Mexican criminal groups 

will remain the principal wholesale heroin distributors, and Mexican local independent dealers will 

remain the primary retail distributors of the drug.

The availability and abuse of MDMA, particularly in the Seattle area, is likely to increase due 

to the growing demand for the drug by young 

adults. Other dangerous drugs will remain a lesser 

threat to the state than methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. The diversion and 

abuse of pharmaceuticals will continue to 

increase with a corresponding increase in pharmacy and residential burglaries.
National Drug Intelligence Center

27

Sources

State and Regional

Aberdeen Police Department

Arlington Police Department

Asotin County Sheriff’s Office

Bainbridge Island Police Department

Bellevue Police Department

Bellingham Police Department

Bothell Police Department

Chelan County Sheriff’s Office

Cheney Police Department

Clallam County Sheriff’s Office

Clark-Skamania Drug Task Force

College Place Police Department

Columbia River Drug Task Force

Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office

Edmonds Police Department

Ellensburg Police Department

Ephrata Police Department

Everett Police Department

Federal Way Police Department

Forks Police Department

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

Gig Harbor Police Department

Grant County Sheriff’s Office
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

28

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Kennewick Police Department

Kent Police Department

King County Sheriff’s Office

Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office

Lacey Police Department

Mercer Island Police Department

Mill Creek City Police Department

Mukilteo Police Department

Ocean Shores Police Department

Orting Police Department

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office

Port Townsend Police Department

Pullman Police Department

Quad-Cities Drug Task Force 

Renton Police Department

Seattle Police Department

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The Seattle Times

Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit

Snohomish Police Department

Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force

South Snohomish County Narcotic Task Force

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office

Spokane Police Department
National Drug Intelligence Center

29

State of Washington

Department of Ecology

Department of Health

Department of Natural Resources

Department of Social and Health Services

Child Protective Services 

Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Office of Lieutenant Governor

Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse

Washington State Patrol

Incident Response Team

Tacoma Police Department

Thurston County Narcotics Task Force

Tri-City Herald

Tri-County Metro Drug Task Force

Union Gap Police Department

Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team

Vancouver Police Department

Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office

Walla Walla Police Department

West Richland Police Department

West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office

Whitman County Sheriff’s Office

Yakima Police Department

National and International

Executive Office of the President

Office of National Drug Control Policy 

Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

30

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Youth Risk Behavior Survey

National Institutes of Health

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Community Epidemiology Work Group

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Office of Applied Studies

Drug Abuse Warning Network

National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Treatment Episode Data Set

U.S. Department of Justice

Criminal Justice Division

Western States Information Network

Drug Enforcement Administration

Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program

Domestic Monitor Program 

El Paso Intelligence Center

Clandestine Laboratory Database

Operation Convoy

Operation Jetway

Operation Pipeline

Federal-wide Drug Seizure System

Seattle Division

Yakima Resident Office

St. Louis Division

Immigration and Naturalization Service

U.S. Border Patrol

Northern Border Task Force

Blaine Sector

National Institute of Justice

Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program

U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. Coast Guard
National Drug Intelligence Center

31

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Customs Service

Blaine Port of Entry

U.S. Sentencing Commission

Other

Associated Press

Billings Gazette

Columbia University

National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Washington Drug Threat Assessment

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National Drug Intelligence Center

33

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