Cocaine's Economic Effects on Miami

As cocaine buisness steadily grew with an average "22 millions" user by 1985 so did Miami's economy. Most cocaine transactions were done in hard currency leading to many dealers being left with exhorbitant amounts of cash. This money would then be laundered through large purchases of retail goods, real-estate, and investments in infrastructure allowing cocaine dealers to legalize and store their money all in one step. As a result in 1984 as cocaine approached its peak in Miami Mercedes had record high sales, the housing price index increased by fifty points, and twenty skyscrapers were erected. All of this was also done when "national construction was at a standstill" and the rest of the nation was in a minor recession.