Structural model of the retail market for illicit drugs

Galenianos, Manolis and Gavazza, Alessandro (2016) Structural model of the retail market for illicit drugs. American Economic Review . ISSN 0002-8282 (In Press)

PDF - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (450Kb)

• LSE expert's profile

Abstract

We estimate a model of illicit drugs markets using data on purchases of crack cocaine. Buyers are searching for high-quality drugs, but they determine drugs’ quality (i.e., their purity) only after consuming them. Hence, sellers can rip off first-time buyers or can offer higher-quality drugs to induce buyers to purchase from them again. In equilibrium, a distribution of qualities persists. The estimated model implies that if drugs were legalized, in which case purity could be regulated and hence observable, the average purity of drugs would increase by approximately 20 percent and the dispersion would decrease by approximately 80 percent. Moreover, increasing penalties may raise the purity and affordability of the drugs traded by increasing sellers’ relative profitability of targeting loyal buyers versus first-time buyers.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.aeaweb.org/journals/aer
Additional Information:	© 2016 AEA
Library of Congress subject classification:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Sets:	Departments > Economics
Date Deposited:	21 Sep 2016 10:28
URL:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/67817/

Actions (login required)

Record administration - authorised staff only