Police-reported cannabis offences in Canada, 2018: Before and after legalization
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Description: Police-reported cannabis offences in Canada, 2018: Before and after legalization
Police-reported cannabis offences in Canada, 2018: Before and after legalization
New cannabis legislation in Canada
C-45
Provided a legal framework for the legalization and regulation of the production, distribution, sale, possession, importation and exportation of cannabis in Canada.
C-46
Introduced new provisions related to police ability to screen drivers for drug impairment.
For more cannabis data:
- Cannabis Statistics Hub
- National Cannabis Survey
In the 2 ½ months following legalization in 2018, police reported 1,454 cannabis offences under the new Cannabis Act.
| Year | Rate of cannabis offences per 100,000 population |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 188 |
| 2006 | 183 |
| 2007 | 191 |
| 2008 | 197 |
| 2009 | 195 |
| 2010 | 221 |
| 2011 | 228 |
| 2012 | 212 |
| 2013 | 210 |
| 2014 | 194 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2016 | 154 |
| 2017 | 136 |
| 2018 *Cannabis legalized October 17, 2018 | 97 |
In 2018, police-reported cannabis offences declined for the 7th year in a row.
But, incidents of importation and exportation increased prior to legalization in 2018: +22%.
| Province or territory | Percent change in rate per 100,000 population |
|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | -28 |
| Prince Edward Island | -28 |
| Nova Scotia | -39 |
| New Brunswick | -28 |
| Quebec | -28 |
| Ontario | -26 |
| Manitoba | -39 |
| Saskatchewan | -35 |
| Alberta | -38 |
| British Columbia | -26 |
| Yukon | -32 |
| Northwest Territories | -39 |
| Nunavut | -29 |
| Canada overall | -29 |
Most common Cannabis Act offences
| Offence | Proportion of Cannabis Act offences |
|---|---|
| Importation and exportation of cannabis | 21% |
| Possession of illicit or over 30 grams of dried cannabis (or equivalent) by an adult | 18% |
| Possession of over 5 grams of dried cannabis (or equivalent) by youth | 12% |
| Possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling | 10% |
For more information, see the full Juristat article: "Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2018."
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. "Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2018," Juristat, Statistics Canada.
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