Table 3
Police-reported crime for selected drug offences, Canada, 2017 and 2018

Table 3
Police-reported crime for selected drug offences, Canada, 2017 and 2018
Table summary
This table displays the results of Police-reported crime for selected drug offences. The information is grouped by Type of offence (appearing as row headers), 2017, 2018, Change in rate 2017 to 2018 and Change in rate 2008 to 2018, calculated using number, rate and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Type of offence	2017^{Note r: revised}		2018		Change in rate 2017 to 2018	Change in rate 2008 to 2018
Type of offence	number	rate	number	rate	percent
Total drug offences	92,986	254	83,483	225	-11	-27
Cannabis - possession^{Table 3 Note 1}	38,779	106	26,194	71	-33	-53
Cannabis - trafficking^{Table 3 Note 1}	5,940	16	3,349	9	-44	-64
Cannabis - production or importation/exportation^{Table 3 Note 1}^{Table 3 Note 2}	5,028	14	4,898	13	-4	-33
Cannabis (Cannabis Act) - possession^{Table 3 Note 3}	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	458	1	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Cannabis (Cannabis Act) - distribution^{Table 3 Note 3}	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	175	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Cannabis (Cannabis Act) - sale^{Table 3 Note 3}	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	236	1	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Cannabis (Cannabis Act) - importation or exportation^{Table 3 Note 2}^{Table 3 Note 3}	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	308	1	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Cannabis (Cannabis Act) - production^{Table 3 Note 3}	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	98	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Cannabis (Cannabis Act) - other^{Table 3 Note 4}	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable	179	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Cocaine - possession	7,161	20	6,903	19	-5	-41
Cocaine - trafficking	6,546	18	6,839	18	3	-44
Cocaine - production or importation/exportation^{Table 3 Note 2}	321	1	583	2	79	45
Methamphetamine - possession^{Table 3 Note 5}	9,360	26	10,400	28	10	Note ...: not applicable
Methamphetamine - trafficking^{Table 3 Note 5}	2,409	7	2,680	7	10	Note ...: not applicable
Methamphetamine - production or importation/exportation^{Table 3 Note 2}^{Table 3 Note 5}	152	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	523	1	239	Note ...: not applicable
Ecstasy - possession^{Table 3 Note 5}	302	1	283	1	-8	Note ...: not applicable
Ecstasy - trafficking^{Table 3 Note 5}	83	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	126	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	50	Note ...: not applicable
Ecstasy - production or importation/exportation^{Table 3 Note 2}^{Table 3 Note 5}	158	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	778	2	386	Note ...: not applicable
Heroin - possession	2,242	6	2,291	6	1	309
Heroin - trafficking	943	3	848	2	-11	207
Heroin - production or importation/exportation^{Table 3 Note 2}	93	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	198	1	110	255
Opioids (not heroin) - possession^{Table 3 Note 6}	148	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	1,474	4	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Opioids (not heroin) - trafficking^{Table 3 Note 6}	117	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	941	3	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Opioids (not heroin) - production or importation/exportation^{Table 3 Note 2}^{Table 3 Note 6}	15	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	75	0^sNote: value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Other drugs - possession^{Table 3 Note 5}^{Table 3 Note 6}^{Table 3 Note 7}	7,767	21	7,079	19	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Other drugs - trafficking^{Table 3 Note 5}^{Table 3 Note 6}^{Table 3 Note 7}	3,633	10	3,392	9	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
Other drugs - production or importation/exportation or other^{Table 3 Note 2}^{Table 3 Note 5}^{Table 3 Note 6}^{Table 3 Note 7}	1,789	5	2,175	6	Note ...: not applicable	Note ...: not applicable
... not applicable 0^s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded ^r revised Note 1 As a result of the coming into force of the Cannabis Act on October 17, 2018, all prior cannabis-related legislation under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) has been replaced with the Cannabis Act. Return to note 1 referrer Note 2 In 2018, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Montréal amended their practices for reporting incidents of importation/exportation of drug offences to better align with the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) survey in an effort to report consistent and accurate data. This has contributed to increases in these offences. However, if it is assumed that there were no changes in these counts reported by the Montréal RCMP from 2017 to 2018, there would still be a national increase in importation/exportation offences in 2018 for all drug types except in the case of the "other" drugs category, where it would still show a decrease in these offences. Return to note 2 referrer Note 3 The Cannabis Act came into force October 17, 2018; therefore, there is no percentage change from 2017 to 2018, or from 2008 to 2018. Return to note 3 referrer Note 4 Includes "other Cannabis Act" offences, such as possession, production, sale, distribution or importation of anything for use in production or distribution of illicit cannabis, and use of a young person in the commission of a cannabis offence. Return to note 4 referrer Note 5 In April 2008, the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey began counting violations involving methamphetamines (e.g., crystal meth) and ecstasy (MDA or MDMA) under their own unique violation codes. Prior to this, violations involving methamphetamines and ecstasy were counted under the category of “other drugs”; therefore, the percentage change from 2008 to 2018 for violations involving methamphetamines, ecstasy or "other drugs" are not shown. Return to note 5 referrer Note 6 In November 2017, the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey began counting violations involving opioids (other than heroin) under their own unique violation codes. Prior to this, violations involving opioids (including fentanyl) were counted within the category of "other drugs"; therefore, the percentage change from 2017 to 2018, and from 2008 to 2018 for violations involving opioids or "other drugs" are not shown. Return to note 6 referrer Note 7 Includes all other drugs listed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), such as prescription drugs, barbiturates, LSD and "drugs used to facilitate sexual assault". Trafficking and production of other drugs includes the possession, production, sale or importation of anything (such as precursors) with the knowledge that it will be used in the production or trafficking of a controlled substance (as defined in section 2(1) of the CDSA). Return to note 7 referrer Note: Police-reported statistics may be affected by differences in the way police services deal with offences. In some instances, police or municipalities might choose to deal with some offences using municipal bylaws or provincial provisions rather than Criminal Code provisions. Counts are based on the most serious violation in the incident. One incident may involve multiple violations. Data for specific types of crime are available, in most cases, from 1977. Rates are calculated on the basis of 100,000 population. Percentage changes are based on unrounded rates. Populations are based upon July 1st estimates from Statistics Canada, Demography Division. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

Report a problem on this page

Is something not working? Is there information outdated? Can't find what you're looking for?

Please contact us and let us know how we can help you.

Privacy notice

Date modified:: 2019-07-22

Language selection

Search and menus

Search

Table 3
Police-reported crime for selected drug offences, Canada, 2017 and 2018

Table 3 Police-reported crime for selected drug offences, Canada, 2017 and 2018

Table 3
Police-reported crime for selected drug offences, Canada, 2017 and 2018