Cocaine: Crack cocaine, as well as powder cocaine, has continued to be a significant and long-term problem in the state, especially in the inner cities. Although cocaine has been surpassed by methamphetamine, it is the foremost concern of law enforcement authorities considering its impact on communities in terms of violent crime, including homicides, principally by street gangs. The ready availability of cocaine and the movement of street gangs beyond traditional areas of operation have led to the spread of crack to many suburban and rural areas. Crack's explosive growth and dominance can be attributed to the drug's wide availability, inexpensive price, simplicity of conversion from powdered cocaine hydrochloride and its addictive properties. Rates of crack cocaine abuse are high and concentrated in the black communities. Distribution points for crack include Little Rock, Texarkana, El Dorado, Hot Springs and Dumas. Cocaine is transported into Arkansas in both powder and crack form. Powder cocaine usually arrives in multi-kilogram quantities, while crack arrives in multi-ounce or kilogram quantities.

Heroin: Drug law enforcement agencies in Arkansas do not identify heroin use as a significant problem. Heroin trafficking patterns in central Arkansas are difficult to discern, as there have been so few investigations of this type. What little tar heroin is encountered in central Arkansas appears to be imported into the state by the Mexican trafficking organizations already in existence. Recently, a small amount (one-gram) of tar heroin originating in the Los Angeles area was seized by the DEA Little Rock District Office. This heroin had been shipped to Little Rock through a parcel service. The city of Baltimore, Maryland has been identified as a source city of gram quantities of Colombian heroin encountered in Little Rock. The heroin in this instance was also shipped to the recipient through the mail.

Methamphetamine: In less than ten years, methamphetamine has grown from a problem limited to the Southwest and Pacific regions of the United States to one of concern in Arkansas. Arkansas' primary drug of concern is methamphetamine. The state is encountering locally produced methamphetamine as well as the importation of Mexico produced methamphetamine. For the last several years, Arkansas ranked third in the nation per capita in terms of the number of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories seized, ranking only behind California and Missouri, both of which have substantially greater populations. Not only does the state's rural landscape provide an ideal setting for illicit manufacturing, but the wide availability of precursor chemicals also contributes to the ease of manufacturing methamphetamine. Criminal groups are acquiring thousands of cases of pseudoephedrine via wholesalers and use sophisticated schemes to illegally ship, at a considerable profit, pseudoephedrine to methamphetamine producers. In-state methamphetamine production is becoming a significant issue in Arkansas. EPIC statistics reported __ laboratories seized in CY 2002 compared to __ laboratories in CY 2003 to date.

Club Drugs: MDMA is the most prevalent and popular club drug in Arkansas. Other dangerous drugs increasing in popularity and demand throughout Arkansas include LSD, OxyContin and GHB. These dangerous drugs are commonly found and continue to be the drugs of choice at "rave" functions and college hangouts throughout the state, especially in the highly populated areas of Arkansas. Sources in California transport LSD to the Little Rock and Fayetteville areas for redistribution. LSD is sold in several different forms including blotter paper and small vials of liquid. Shipments are also mailed through the U.S. Postal Service and commercial shipping companies.

Marijuana:Mexican and domestically produced marijuana is abundantly available in Arkansas. Intelligence indicates that locally grown marijuana is distributed to other states, including Mississippi and Texas. The majority of marijuana arrests and seizures in Arkansas, however, are from Operation Pipeline stops as they transit through the state and parcel interceptions. Seizures in excess of 1,000 pounds are typically concealed in tractor-trailers destined for cities on the East Coast.

Other Drugs: Pseudoephedrine is a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and is sold in convenience stores throughout the state. Recent Arkansas legislation proposed to remove pseudoephedrine tablets from store shelves and place them behind the counter distributed by the pharmacy section. Additionally, Arkansas State legislation passed in June 2001 made it illegal to posses over nine grams of pseudoephedrine and illegal to sell more than three grams per transaction.