To How Many Customers Should a Drug Dealer Sell?
Published 1995
Published 1995
This paper presents a simple economic model of a drug dealer's decision about how many customers to supply. The model relates the number of customers (i.e., the branching factor of the distribution network) to a quantity discount factor describing the extent to which prices are marked up from one distribution level to the next and the ratio of selling costs to product costs. Solving the model allows one to infer characteristics of the domestic distribution network from basic assumptions about individual and market level equilibria.
This publication is part of the RAND draft series. The unrestricted draft was a product of RAND from 1993 to 2003 that represented preliminary or prepublication versions of other, more formal RAND products for distribution to appropriate external audiences, similar to an academic discussion paper. Although unrestricted drafts have been approved for circulation, they were not usually formally edited or peer reviewed.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.