Possess cannabis

Legislation: Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) s 73(1)

Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units (small quantity); 1 year imprisonment, 30 penalty units, or both (not related to trafficking); 5 years imprisonment, 400 penalty units, or both (related to trafficking)

Period: 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023

Jurisdiction: Magistrates' Court

Charges

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Cases

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All outcomes

Males

Females

Aged 18 to 24

Aged 25 to 54

Aged 55 and over

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the Magistrates' Court, 13,758 charges of possess cannabis were sentenced in the three years to 30 June 2023. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was a fine (36.5% or 5023 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In 11,995 cases sentenced in the Magistrates' Court in the three years to 30 June 2023, each case included at least one charge of possess cannabis. Among the 11,995 cases, 9,768 people were male and 2,227 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was a fine (31.8% or 3816 cases).

A case is a collection of one or more charges against a person or company sentenced at the one hearing. Case data is most useful in understanding the total sentence usually imposed on people found guilty of a particular crime.

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 1**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of possess cannabis
**Number: 13,758 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 2**: Imprisonment lengths for charges of possess cannabis
**Number: 77 charges**

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 3**: Community correction order lengths for charges of possess cannabis
**Number: 2,097 charges**

Bar graph showing fine amounts for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 4**: Fine amounts for charges of possess cannabis
**Number: 1,161 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 5**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 13,758 charges**

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of possess cannabis — **Figure 6**: Number of charges of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 13,758 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 7**: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 77 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph showing fines amounts each year for charges of possess cannabis — **Figure 8**: Average fine amounts for charges of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 1,161 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes fines that were not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate fines).

Bar graph showing sentence types for all offenders for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 9A**: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 11,995 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for male offenders for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 9B**: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 9,768 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for female offenders for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 9C**: Sentencing outcomes for females for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 2,227 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged under 25 for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 9D**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged under 25 for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 2,104 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 9E**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 9,311 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 55 and over for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 9F**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 55 and over for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 550 cases**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 10**: Imprisonment lengths for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 3,376 cases**, including imprisonment only (2,168 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (1,208 cases).

Bar graph showing non-parole periods for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 11**: Non-parole periods for all people for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 2,168 cases**
**Note**: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Bar graph showing lengths of community correction orders for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 12**: Community correction order lengths for cases of possess cannabis
**Number: 1,984 cases**

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 13**: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 11,995 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 14**: Number of cases of possess cannabis for all people by financial year
**Number: 11,995 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 15**: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 3,376 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of possess cannabis — **Figure 16**: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of possess cannabis by financial year
**Number: 206 cases**
**Note**: *NPP Cases* in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.