Cocaine Street Prices

Like other illicit drugs, cocaine is sold on the street. The street price of cocaine depends on multiple factors.

Cocaine is an illegal drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. As a stimulant, it speeds up your body, making you feel excited and energized. It can also cause serious health problems, including overdose and addiction.

Like other illicit drugs, cocaine is sold on the street. The street price of cocaine depends on multiple factors.

How Much Does Cocaine Cost On The Street?

Most drug dealers sell cocaine by the gram. One gram contains about 25 “hits” of cocaine. In the United States, a gram of cocaine usually costs between $25 and $200. The exact price depends on the type of cocaine, location, and purity level.

Type

There are two types of cocaine sold on the illicit drug market: powder cocaine and crack cocaine.

Powder cocaine (also called cocaine hydrochloride) is a white powder that can be snorted or injected.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), powder cocaine costs about $93 per gram and $28,000 per kilogram. One kilogram (or kilo) equals about 1,000 grams.

Crack cocaine is a shiny, rock-like substance that can be smoked in a glass pipe. It’s made by mixing powder cocaine with water and baking soda. Its effects start and end more quickly than the effects of powder cocaine. The average price of crack cocaine is about $60 per gram.

Purity Level

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), many drug dealers mix cocaine with substances that resemble it, such as flour, cornstarch, and talcum powder. This strategy decreases cocaine production costs.

Other dealers mix cocaine with other drugs, including illegal drugs (such as methamphetamine and heroin), prescription amphetamines (such as Adderall and Dexedrine), and prescription opiates or opioids (such as morphine and fentanyl).

Along with decreasing production costs, this strategy gives buyers a more intense high. In most cases, buyers don’t know about the additives.

Both of these practices lower the drug’s purity level. Typically, impure cocaine costs less than pure cocaine.

Location

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimates that about 90 percent of cocaine production occurs in Colombia. Thus, in general, the closer you are to Colombia, the lower cocaine prices will be. In other words, cocaine dealers in New York City may charge less than dealers in California.

Also, according to street-level law enforcement, cocaine tends to cost less in cities compared to more rural areas. That’s because most drug traffickers and cartels are located near cities, and a higher drug supply leads to lower drug prices.

Dangers Of Cocaine

No matter its retail price, cocaine poses severe health risks, including addiction and overdose.

Cocaine Overdose

Like other illicit substances, cocaine can cause an overdose. Common signs of a cocaine overdose include:

  • anxiety
  • irritability
  • hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren’t there)
  • shaking
  • chest pain
  • nausea and vomiting
  • high blood pressure
  • increased heart rate
  • increased body temperature
  • seizures
  • loss of consciousness

You face a higher risk of overdose if you mix cocaine with other drugs. As mentioned above, some drug dealers secretly lace cocaine with different substances. That means you could unknowingly mix cocaine with other drugs, including fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid responsible for numerous overdose deaths.

Cocaine Addiction

People who regularly use cocaine face a high risk of cocaine addiction. Cocaine addiction (also called cocaine use disorder) is a disease that makes you feel unable to stop using cocaine despite negative consequences, such as job loss or damaged relationships.

Other signs of the disease include:

  • loss of motivation
  • loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed
  • tolerance (needing increasingly larger or more frequent doses of cocaine to feel the desired effects)
  • physical dependence (experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as depression and fatigue, when you don’t use cocaine)

Cocaine addiction increases your risk of various health problems, including heart attack and stroke. Fortunately, it’s treatable.

Treatment

If you suspect that you or someone you love has a cocaine addiction, seek help at a substance abuse treatment program. These programs offer medical detox, therapy, support groups, and other services to help people overcome drug use.

If you or a loved one struggles with cocaine, please contact Northeast Addictions Treatment Center. We provide personalized, evidence-based treatments to keep you healthy and drug-free.

Written by
Northeast Addition Editorial Team

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This page does not provide medical advice.

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