Drug Situation: Marijuana, domestic and imported, is the most widely abused drug in the State of Vermont. High-purity level heroin is available throughout the state. Cocaine is also a significant problem throughout the state, particularly in urban areas. Law enforcement officials report minimal availability of methamphetamine. Vermont’s two interstate highways, I-89 and I-91, terminate at the U.S./Canada border, providing drug traffickers easy access to metropolitan areas in Canada and the United States.

Cocaine: Cocaine is readily available throughout Vermont and is widely abused by illicit drug users. Recently, cocaine abuse and subsequent cocaine trafficking has become more prevalent among college students in the Burlington area. The drug is available in all quantities from fractional ounces to kilogram quantities. Cocaine traffickers in Vermont, most often Caucasians, obtain the drug from source areas in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. The cocaine is brought into the state mostly through the use of passenger vehicles; often it is then distributed in bars. Crack cocaine is not widely available in the state, although there is limited availability in the areas of Burlington, Rutland, and Barre. The cost is usually two to three times the cost of cocaine obtained in source areas. Crack is most often distributed by African-American violators who obtain the drug in New York and Massachusetts.

Heroin: There is availability of heroin in the state in street/user level quantities. A typical heroin distributor in Vermont is a heroin user who distributes the drug in order to support his/her heroin addiction. Heroin is obtained by individuals who travel to source areas in Massachusetts and New York. The most common method of transport of heroin between Vermont and source areas is the use of automobiles.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine is not commonly available in the state; although two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories were seized, one in June 2004 and another in September 2005, prior to the seizure in 2004, the last seizure of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Vermont occurred in 1990. No clandestine methamphetamine labs were seized in 2006.

Club Drugs: MDMA (Ecstasy) is sporadically available in Vermont. Until June 2001, MDMA possession was not a crime under Vermont state statutes. Several thousand tablet seizures of MDMA have been made at the ports of entry in Vermont. The seized MDMA, often from Toronto, Canada or Montreal, Canada was destined to other states in New England. There have not been any reports of widespread availability of other club drugs such as GHB and ketamine. One clandestine MDMA laboratory was seized in December 2003, located in Castleton, VT. This was the first clandestine laboratory seized in the state since 1990.

Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available in all areas of Vermont, and it is the drug of choice for illicit drug users. Marijuana is brought into Vermont from the southwestern U.S. through the use of automobiles, campers, and tractor-trailers. Another significant source area for marijuana in the state is Canada. Canadian-based drug trafficking organizations smuggle high quality hydroponically grown marijuana from Canada across the U.S./Canada border for distribution in Vermont and in transit to Massachusetts, New York, and other states. The marijuana often is carried in backpacks across remote areas between the ports of entry; tractor-trailers containing marijuana loads also transport the drug across the U.S./Canada border.

In addition to marijuana transported to Vermont, marijuana continues to be grown within the state. In the past, local growers maintained large-scale outdoor cultivation operations. However, the current trend of local marijuana cultivation has changed to small outdoor plots which can be difficult to detect. Indoor grows and hydroponic systems are maintained on a small scale.

Other Drugs: Vicodin, Fentanyl, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Methadone, Ritalin, Xanax, OxyContin and Diazepam are the most commonly diverted pharmaceutical drugs in Vermont. Impaired practitioners are a concern in the state.

Pharmaceutical Diversion: Current investigations indicate that diversion of oxycodone products such as OxyContin® continues to be a problem in Vermont. Primary methods of diversion being reported are illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers, “doctor shopping”(going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for a controlled pharmaceutical), forged prescriptions, employee theft, pharmacy theft, and the Internet. Methadone and Vicodin® were also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in Vermont.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. Since the inception of the MET Program, a total of 436 deployments have been completed nationwide, resulting in 18,318 arrests. There have been no MET deployments in the State of Vermont.

DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests. There have been no RET deployments in the State of Vermont.

Special Topics: U.S./Canada Border: Vermont shares approximately 95 miles of border with Canada. The cross-border terrain is remote with no large cities and few inhabitants providing an ideal situation for cross-border illicit activities. Several large-scale international investigations have stemmed from seizures of hydroponically grown marijuana, MDMA and ephedrine. Following the events of September 11, 2001, border law enforcement activity has increased which has led to an increase in drug and money seizures.

Treatment Centers: The Vermont Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs (ADAP) provides alcohol and drug treatment services with contracted nonprofit agencies. According to ADAP, use of marijuana/hashish accounted for 18% of the clients in treatment (primary substance of abuse), other opiates/synthetics 12 % of clients in treatment, heroin eight percent of clients in treatment and cocaine/crack six percent of clients in treatment in Vermont fiscal year 2006 (July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2006).

More information about the Boston Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 6/2007