The number of people found guilty or cautioned for drug
possession offences
(source: Hansard)
Cannabis was reclassified in January 2004. There
were 45,390 cannabis possession offences in 2004 where the offenders were found
guilty of cautioned as compared with 77,500 in 2003. However, there were 27,520
street warnings for cannabis possession since the street warnings were
introduced nationally in April 2004 and this is likely to have reduced
cautioning figures for cannabis possession.
|
Type of offence |
2004(21) |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
2003 |
Percentage of
custodial Sentences |
2002 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
|
Offences under Drugs Acts: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A |
45500 |
3 |
5,450 |
8 |
20,900 |
13 |
|
B |
5230 |
8 |
82,950 |
3 |
83,540 |
3 |
|
C |
45,500 |
3 |
560 |
4 |
630 |
3 |
|
Type of offence |
|
|
|
|
|
Offences under
Drugs Acts: |
2001 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
2000 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
|
A |
18,520 |
16 |
19,990 |
14 |
|
B |
73,180 |
3 |
75,976 |
4 |
|
C |
410 |
15 |
14 |
<0.5 |
The number of people found guilty or cautioned for drug possession with intent
to supply offences
|
Class |
2004 |
Percent
receiving custodial sentences |
2003 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
2002 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
|
A |
2,200 |
39 |
440 |
66 |
3,730 |
77 |
|
B |
520 |
63 |
2,940 |
43 |
2,900 |
45 |
|
C |
2,200 |
39 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
|
Class |
2001 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
2000 |
Percentage of
custodial sentences |
|
A |
3,230 |
77 |
3,634 |
68 |
|
B |
3,020 |
49 |
4,365 |
44 |
|
C |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Observer January 23 2000
|
year |
caution |
probation |
fine |
custody |
|
1997 |
45362 |
4000 |
18000 |
500 |
Prosecutions in England and Wales for Drug Offences 1993-99
|
Year |
Heroin |
Cocaine |
Ecstasy |
Cannabis |
|
1993 |
3,570 |
2,666 |
2,319 |
31,275 |
|
1994 |
4,831 |
2,815 |
2,826 |
41,239 |
|
1995 |
6,753 |
3,205 |
4,548 |
44,994 |
|
1996 |
9,549 |
3,596 |
5,389 |
45,121 |
|
1997 |
13,355 |
4,644 |
5,265 |
52,743 |
|
1998 |
16,098 |
5,852 |
3,432 |
60,114 |
|
1999 |
17,673 |
6,691 |
5,066 |
57,512 |
Source: Drugs Research Unit Home
Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
We suspect that the slight drop in
cannabis prosecutions last year is due to police caution/blind eye turning.
Cannabis possession in the UK
|
Year |
caution |
prosecution |
fine |
custody |
|
1986 |
4048 |
11493 |
7998 |
983 |
|
1987 |
5778 |
11878 |
8130 |
929 |
|
1988 |
8273 |
14049 |
9752 |
987 |
|
1989 |
11674 |
17654 |
12329 |
1145 |
|
1990 |
16185 |
19281 |
12975 |
909 |
|
1991 |
19256 |
18470 |
11541 |
1041 |
|
1992 |
21824 |
14175 |
8828 |
717 |
|
1993 |
30404 |
18846 |
10010 |
614 |
|
1994 |
38602 |
24025 |
13358 |
769 |
|
1995 |
40391 |
24386 |
13355 |
930 |