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• There were just over 100,000 police-reported drug offences in Canada in 2007. The 2007 rate of drug offences was at its highest point in 30 years.

• The rate of police-reported drug offences has been generally increasing since 1993. The increase in the drug offence rate coincides with a decrease in the overall crime rate which began around the same time.

• Since the 1970s, cannabis offences, primarily possession, have comprised the majority of all drug offences. Although the rate of cannabis offences has generally declined in recent years, these types of offences continued to account for 6 in 10 drug-related crimes in 2007.

• There have been substantial increases in the rates of cocaine offences and "other" type drug offences (such as crystal meth and ecstasy) over the past decade, up by 80% and 168% respectively. The rate of heroin offences, on the other hand, has dropped, down by 41%.

• For 30 years, drug offence rates in British Columbia have consistently been among the highest in Canada. In 2007, the rate in British Columbia was double the rate in Saskatchewan, the next highest province.

• In recent years, the highest rates of drug offences among census metropolitan areas have been reported in Vancouver, Trois-Rivières, Victoria, Abbotsford and Gatineau. The rates in Vancouver and Victoria have been among the highest for more than fifteen years.

• Part of the increase in drug crime can be attributed to an increase in the rate of youth (12 to 17 years) accused which has doubled over the past decade. In recent years, most youth have been cleared by means other than the laying of a formal charge, such as police discretion or by referral to a diversion program.

• About half of all cases involving drug offences in 2006/2007 were stayed, withdrawn, dismissed or discharged by courts, higher than the proportion of court cases in general. Cases may be terminated early for a variety of reasons, including resolution discussions, lack of evidence or a referral to court-sponsored diversion programs.

• In 2006/2007, half of all adults convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced to custody compared to 16% of those convicted of possession. The most common sentence for adults convicted of possession was a fine. Among youth, probation was the most common sentence, regardless of whether the conviction involved drug possession or trafficking.