NORML New Zealand - official Cannabis Offences statistics

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CANNABIS ARRESTS 1990-2000

These statistics were obtained by former NORML activist, Nandor Tanczos MP who asked Parliamentary Questions to obtain them.

In the 2000 calendar year:

4550 people were arrested for possession or use of cannabis and 3503 were convicted.

The average sentence was a fine of $195.11. The highest average fine was $277.61 in Auckland’s North Shore, while those in Levin received a $145 fine on average.

1145 people were prosecuted for cannabis possession in just the Auckland District Court.

3695 people were arrested for dealing in cannabis and 3003 people were convicted.

The average sentence was a fine of $445.09 and 14 months in prison. In Manukau the average fine was $1145.45, while in Te Kuiti it was just $204.

2109 people were arrested for other cannabis offences (usually possession of a pipe or allowing premises or cars to be used) and 1450 people were convicted.

The average sentence was a fine of $198.02. The highest average fine was $342.86 in Otahuhu while those toking in Tokoroa received just $120 on average.

During 1998/99 Police spent approximately 74,658 hours dealing with incidents surrounding the possession of cannabis (a Police hour is costed at $70).

For the same period there were 12,009 recorded offences of cannabis possession.

A total of 298,000 hours - or $21 million - were spent by Police enforcing the cannabis laws.

Drug offenders fill 8% of our prison beds.

Sources: Answers to Parliamentary Questions 5260, 5822, 5823, 5945, 5947, 5948, 5950.

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN OF CANNABIS OFFENCES source: Community Probation Service Centres
	NOTE: 'Possess' means possession of cannabis; 'Deal' means trafficking in cannabis; 'Other' refers to cannabis-related offences such as possession of pipe or other utensils for smoking cannabis, permitting premises or a motor vehicle to be used for a drug offence, or making a false statement under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
	1990			1995			2000
	Possess	Deal	Other	Possess	Deal	Other	Possess	Deal	Other
Kaitaia	62	39	10	63	57	11	88	65	54
Kaikohe	47	39	4	93	82	13	148	216	47
Whangarei	261	97	49	363	300	111	323	392	124
North Shore	237	96	47	304	128	81	626	150	346
Waitakere	249	78	23	209	139	74	296	153	174
Auckland	891	270	114	1082	537	247	1145	389	429
Manukau	.	.	.	.	.	.	38	48	15
Otahuhu	394	112	44	250	285	72	202	236	56
Papakura	103	44	17	131	90	36	173	134	43
Pukehohe	80	41	9	23	24	7	55	45	10
Tauranga	343	154	99	227	145	47	359	283	97
Wahakatane	247	93	35	257	119	65	228	148	68
Hamilton	807	324	164	687	403	274	556	391	228
Te Kuiti	78	24	7	51	36	14	58	35	21
Rotorua	369	180	47	371	269	144	271	251	119
Tokoroa	120	55	28	94	55	34	101	60	33
Taupo	106	38	14	107	45	15	119	80	24
New Plymouth	164	78	23	158	107	30	190	106	64
Hawera	56	48	14	59	48	18	63	58	17
Wanganui	141	74	29	149	70	41	175	89	70
Taihape	18	9	4	24	6	9	56	35	35
Palmerston North	242	95	49	190	82	67	210	144	71
Levin	79	41	7	91	64	27	82	48	23
Masterton	122	70	22	106	58	21	129	73	53
Hastings	163	98	32	132	85	33	179	138	51
Napier	91	96	8	140	195	21	145	152	44
Gisborne	236	112	44	181	112	37	178	214	37
Porirua	96	40	2	217	84	43	157	63	34
Lower Hutt	123	44	19	132	60	13	133	64	63
Upper Hutt	94	53	22	89	32	9	95	38	24
Wellington	301	154	44	432	242	75	352	192	121
Blenheim	23	25	2	81	39	29	139	77	79
Nelson	116	54	19	142	77	31	271	121	133
Greymouth	101	58	22	84	35	17	114	76	25
Christchurch	514	260	69	596	436	142	558	423	286
Rangiroa	71	26	18	75	39	16	37	21	13
Timaru	247	105	64	239	126	90	212	178	108
Dunedin	188	102	19	281	154	91	233	125	112
Alexandra	23	7	2	44	26	12	36	21	13
Gore	17	11	5	49	22	24	28	17	18
Invergargill	204	112	58	146	59	49	141	85	79
Total prosecutions							4,440	3,695	2,109
Total convictions							3,503	3,003	1,450
Found gulity (%)	85	81	76	75	70	74	74	70	76
Totals (%)	1990 = 83			1995 = 72			2000 = 71

CANNABIS ARRESTS 1990-2000

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN OF CANNABIS OFFENCES