When it comes to illegal drug trade, prices can vary greatly depending on a number of factors such as availability, demand, and legality. However, there is one drug that stands out as the most expensive on the black market – fentanyl.
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After 20 years and $200 billion in revenue, Humira — an injectable treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and several other autoimmune conditions — has lost its monopoly. Early Tuesday morning, California-based biotech firm Amgen released Amjevita, the first close copy of the best selling drug of all time. At least seven more Humira copycats, known as biosimilars, are expected to debut later this year.
What is Fentanyl?
Drugs to be Found on the Black Market
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is typically used to treat severe pain, especially in patients who are already tolerant to other opioids. Due to its potency, fentanyl has a high potential for abuse and can be deadly if misused.
- Vertex has not registered Trikafta with South Africa’s drug regulator, but the company said on Monday that it recently signed an agreement with a distributor there.
- Also known as progeria, it is a rare, progressive genetic disorder characterised by premature ageing, which is typically fatal when children reach years old.
- We hypothesized that Silk Road could be a source of information on street prices for diverted prescription drugs.
- Federal funding for NIH declined (in inflation-adjusted dollars) each year from 2003 to 2015, when that funding was about $33 billion.
Why is Fentanyl so Expensive?
makes logical sense – so much so that it became one of the primary arguments used by pro-legalization politicians to promote the drug. So now, years after the first legalization of recreational cannabis in 2012, the illegal markets should be fading into obscurity.
People use cryptic messaging and hashtags to trade on social media
There are several reasons why fentanyl commands such a high price on the black market. Firstly, it is a very potent drug, meaning that only small amounts are needed to achieve the desired effects. This means that traffickers can make a higher profit margin on each sale.
Crack cocaine possession and distribution initially carried a sentence 100 times more extreme than its powdered form, even though it is essentially the same drug. The negotiated prices of the first 10 drugs, which have not yet been publicly identified, will take effect in 2026. Because marijuana is less common in Finland than other countries in the E.U., the price of weed tends to skew higher. Home cultivation is considerably cheaper, which may explain why more people in Finland are risking prosecution to grow it privately. Marijuana is so expensive in the capital due to the limited supply and the inability of the city to establish a legal recreational cannabis market because of federal jurisdiction.
Additionally, fentanyl is relatively difficult to manufacture compared to other drugs, requiring specialized equipment and expertise. This drives up the cost of production, which is then passed on to the consumer.
The Dangers of Fentanyl
Crystal meth users spend over $17 billion per year in the United States on the drug alone. Other expenses include—like other drugs—medical costs, law enforcement, and loss of productivity. Heroin has a reputation as a “cheap” drug, and a shocking truth is that many prescription drug users switch to heroin to save money. While initially cheap, heroin can be seriously addictive and costs can add up fast.
Despite its high price tag, fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug that has been responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths in recent years. Because it is so potent, even a tiny amount of fentanyl can be lethal if ingested or inhaled.
Furthermore, because fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs such as heroin or cocaine without the user’s knowledge, the risk of accidental overdose is very high. This is why it is crucial to avoid buying drugs from the black market, as the contents and potency of these substances are often unknown.
