The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for the possession and supply of cannabis and ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine— MDMA), those sentenced to a custodial sentence and those receiving the maximum sentence, in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following tables.
The statistics given relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. For example, when a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn 2009.
1997 1998 1999 Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Having possession of a controlled drug: MDMA 1,048 62 0 753 51 0 1,262 69 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA 544 410 0 304 217 0 451 338 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in) MDMA 310 228 0 246 179 0 231 173 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: Cannabis and cannabis resin 17,275 268 1 22,643 410 1 22,623 451 1 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin 2,499 1,129 0 2,648 1,284 0 2,246 1,112 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis 1,414 650 1 1,442 656 0 1,168 573 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: MDMA 1,048 62 0 753 51 0 1,262 69 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA 544 410 0 304 217 0 451 338 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in) MDMA 310 228 0 246 179 0 231 173 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: Cannabis and cannabis resin 17,275 268 1 22,643 410 1 22,623 451 1 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin 2,499 1,129 0 2,648 1,284 0 2,246 1,112 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis resin 1,414 650 1 1,442 656 0 1,168 573 0
Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Having possession of a controlled drug: MDMA 1,955 108 0 2,493 151 0 2,165 100 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA 736 520 0 960 690 0 830 578 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in) MDMA 327 234 0 376 252 0 365 216 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: Cannabis and cannabis resin 20,602 361 0 20,752 290 1 23,655 241 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin 1,802 808 0 1,358 618 0 1,388 547 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis 842 405 0 613 265 0 592 258 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: MDMA 1,955 108 0 2,493 151 0 2,165 100 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA 736 520 0 960 690 0 830 578 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in) MDMA 327 234 0 376 252 0 365 216 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: Cannabis and cannabis resin 20,602 361 0 20,752 290 1 23,655 241 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin 1,802 808 0 1,358 618 0 1,388 547 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis resin 842 405 0 613 265 0 592 258 0
Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Having possession of a controlled drug: MDMA 2,009 81 0 1,853 60 0 1,677 61 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA 746 461 0 603 394 0 557 342 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in) MDMA 219 127 0 172 100 0 167 91 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: Cannabis and cannabis resin 25,714 288 0 413,320 4161 52 12,095 136 5 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin 1,470 475 0 1,247 420 0 993 272 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis 522 222 0 456 156 0 393 135 0
Sentenced to: Sentenced to: Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Found guilty Immediate custody Maximum custody Having possession of a controlled drug: MDMA 1,539 62 0 1,590 70 0 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA 434 256 0 513 276 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in) MDMA 169 81 0 169 73 0 Having possession of a controlled drug: Cannabis and cannabis resin 12,536 141 2 14,073 162 6 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin 957 240 0 958 232 0 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis 385 101 0 367 101 0 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that this data has been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 3 Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for parsons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. 4 Cannabis was reclassified in January 2004 to a class C drug. Guidelines advised that offenders over the age of 18 could be given, for possession only, a "cannabis warning" which does not constitute a criminal record. 5 Following reclassification in January 2004 to a class C drug, statutory maximum penalty for possession of cannabis was downgraded from five to two years. The offenders shown here were sentenced to two years imprisonment although it is not known what maximum would have applied to these offenders on the day their offences took place. Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform - Evidence and Analysis unit (OCJR-E&A).