Nov. 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 11

final narcotic. A small

final narcotic. A small kitchen can be used to make deadly quantities with minimal risk for the ‘manufacturers.’ Moreover, with the capabilities that artificial intelligence (AI) systems demonstrate today, an AI system can take the molecular structure of fentanyl and produce numerous analogs in record time. Drug analogs are variations of the original drug (in this case, fentanyl), made by tweaking the chemical structure to change the potency and/or the effects of the substance. Some common fentanyl analogs found in America include acetylfentanyl, butyrylfentanyl, cyclopropylfentanyl, and fluorofentanyl. Each analog has its own chemical makeup, making it harder for law enforcement to identify without sending it to a laboratory—a lengthy process which drags out the investigation and prosecution of suspects. While mixing precursors and producing the final product can be done in apartments or rented houses without anyone being the wiser, we should not expect to see the end to the deadly influence of the South American drug cartels. The cartels are still active in mass-producing narcotics, from heroin to fentanyl, as well as setting themselves up as a cheap source of precursors, situated just below the southern border. This is their strength because they can easily import large amounts of precursors due to the compromised nature of the Mexican government. Additionally, moving bulk shipments of fentanyl into America is relatively easy due to the disarray on the southern border. A SMALL BUSINESS DREAM The manufacture of small quantities is easier, as is obtaining traditional narcotics or stimulants. This has changed the nature of illicit drug sales, making dealing a viable and profitable small or sideline business. Mom-and-pop drug operations can make a good living selling their cocktails from their respectable homes in the suburbs, even using suppliers in China or India to send precursor chemicals in small quantities via next-day courier delivery. The conventional method of city drug sales was to have a ‘corner boy’ loitering on a street corner, usually a juvenile, who acts as an intermediary between the supplier and buyer. The benefit of this approach was that if the youngster was caught with the drugs, their youth would ensure they were not prosecuted, or if they were, a light sentence would be the norm. 98 The Blues - November ‘24

In the inner cities with less affluent populations, the corner boy is still a reality as it is the simplest way for people to buy and sell drugs. However, drug sales are evolving as more people adopt mobile technology. In today’s digitized society, home delivery of your drug of choice is as easy as ordering a pizza. Deals can even be completed on social media chat applications, with some communicating only using emojis. Payments are made over common mobile payment platforms or via cryptocurrency. Investigators had an easier time unraveling drug The Blues - November ‘24 99