Date of Award

2023

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Justice Studies

First Advisor

William McClanahan

Abstract

The drug trade is part of society and will, therefore, continue to evolve as society evolves. Technology plays a significant role in the evolution of society and the drug trade alike. Technological developments such as the internet have facilitated our lives. Several conditions have contributed to the evolution of the drug trade, including the increased and intensifying criminalization of material spaces, which has led to people engaging in crime in and across cyberspace(s). The transnational nature of the emergent digital drug trade has brought with it unique jurisdictional concerns as the globalized world intersects with the global internet to facilitate online communication and illegal trade, while the emergence of cryptocurrencies and their role in ‘dark web’ markets allows a level of anonymity that was previously impossible. This research used a qualitative meta-synthesis structure to explore how the drug trade is facilitated online and how drug markets and trade networks in cyberspace(s) will continue to evolve with technology.

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