CANBERRA’S drug users are paying more for cocaine than the rest of the country, according to new figures from the Australian Crime Commission.

The Commission’s Illicit Drug Data Report revealed in 2011–12 the ACT and the Nothern Territory recorded the highest street price for cocaine, with users willing to pay up to $500 for one gram.

Additionally, the price for one kilogram of cocaine in the ACT was $300,000—at least $50,000 more than in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

“Australia has a relatively robust economy, its people have a relatively high standard of living and therefore relatively high disposable incomes,” ACC Chief Executive Officer John Lawler says.

“The attraction of Australia as an illicit drug market comes from the fact that Australian users have traditionally paid premium prices in world terms for illicit drugs, making importation highly profitable.”

Mr Lawler says the illicit drug market in Australia has “evolved significantly” over the past decade into a very diverse marketplace, with over 76,000 seizures and more than 93,000 illicit drug related arrests—both the highest in the last decade.

ACT statistics are drawn from data provided by ACT Policing.