Exclusive: The growing cost of ‘weed’

The street cost of marijuana has rocketed in Bermuda — and sources say the new X-Ray scanner at the docks — as well as closer links between police and Customs officers — could explain why.

Earlier this year, the standard $50 bag contained 1g to 1.5g of marijuana — now that has dropped to just 0.2g.

One source, with his finger on the pulse of the illicit drugs trade, told us that dealers were blaming the new hi-tech container scanner on the docks for the price hike.

The source said: “A lot of dealers are attributing this to the scanner at the docks catching more drugs and to increased cooperation between the police and customs.”

The source added, however, that the price increases had prompted more people to start growing marijuana locally, both for personal use and for sale.

And he said that others had turned to harder drugs like cocaine and crack cocaine as a result of the marijuana drought.

Acting Collector of Customs Tracey Kelly said: “Certainly, we have done very well in the first quarter of this year.

“And the scanner is a major tool in our arsenal.

“As far as the price of illicit drugs goes, that would be something the police would be more in touch with than Customs.

“But the scanner is up and running at the docks and Customs is seeing success at all of our ports in interdicting drugs and other goods.”

Mr Kelly added: “We have always worked well with the police and we think that will get even better in the future.”

He said that he was unable to provide figures for seizures in the first quarter of the year yet — but that they would be published in the near future.

Mr Kelly added: “Hopefully, they will show some good news.”

The Bermuda Police Service was asked for comment, but had not replied by press time.