ABSTRACT
The suppliers constitute the primary actors in drug markets. Producers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers form a distribution chain. The behaviour of each of these actors affects not only the drug price, but also the allocation of the value created by the different protagonists. In other respects, the organizational methods of supply determine the conditions under which drugs are distributed, the degree of violence on the drug markets, and the influence of organized crime. Each of the supplier groups (importers, retailers, criminal organizations) adopt strategies which differ greatly from those of a classic legitimate firm. Uncertainty, limited rationality, opportunism and betrayal create particular strategies, a thorough understanding of which is the key to an efficient public policy.
