# The Business of Drugs (2020)

> A former CIA analyst traces the economics of six illicit drugs to show how markets push people into risky and deadly choices.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/88031

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: documentary, crime
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Amaryllis Fox, Ann Shulgin, Alexander Shulgin
- TMDB rating: 7.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12588416/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: clinical, sober, urgent, analytical

## What critics say

Audiences rate the miniseries positively for its clear, investigative look at the economics behind drug trafficking.

## Synopsis

The Business of Drugs (2020) is a six-episode American documentary miniseries created for Netflix, a limited series investigative docuseries that follows former CIA analyst Amaryllis Fox as she examines how illicit substances move through global markets. Fox serves as the on-screen guide, questioning authors, chemists and investigators while tracing the money, supply chains and wholesale operations that sustain each drug trade. Each forty-five minute episode takes one substance and follows how its economics push people into risky and sometimes deadly behavior, from production through distribution to the users at the bottom of the chain. The series is built on observational footage, interviews and archive material, giving it a sober, analytical register rather than sensational spectacle. Chemist Alexander Shulgin appears in archive footage and author Ann Shulgin contributes her perspective, grounding the discussion in firsthand knowledge of the substances. The tone is clinical yet urgent, with a focus on hidden incentives and the human cost behind market forces. Viewers who appreciated the investigative reach of Dirty Money and the global scope of Narcos will find a similar appetite for how criminal markets actually function. Its short runtime makes it a compact, focused watch for anyone curious about the machinery of the drug trade.

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