Canada: number of drug-related offenses 2000-2023

This statistic shows the total number of drug-related offenses in Canada from 2000 to 2023. There were 45,530 drug-related offenses nationwide in Canada in 2023. 

Drug-related Crime

Drug-related crime is any crime that has to do with the manufacture, sale, possession, or transportation of a substance illegal under Canada’s criminal code. Drug-related crime is one of the few areas of crime in Canada that has been on the decline over the last few decades. From 2000 to 2023 the rate of drug-related offenses in Canada has decreased.

 Before 2018, by far, the largest portion of drug-related offenses in Canada was for the possession of cannabis. The number of all offenses related to cannabis was over four times higher than the next illicit substance. Likewise, possession of any substance was also the most common drug-related offense, occurring almost four times as frequently as the next offense.

The vast majority of youths who were found guilty of a drug-related offense in criminal courts are sentenced to probation. In contrast, adults were dealt with more strictly, with the distribution of sentences for the guilty being even between, probation, fines, and custody.