Sentencing of possession for Class A, B or C drug

See how sentencing for possession of a Class A/B/C drug has changed over the last 10 years. Fines and conditional discharges now far more likely than ten years ago.

Courts in England and Wales have a range of sentencing options at their disposal when dealing with convictions for the possession of drugs. Over the past decade, the proportions of these sentences issued has changed. Fines and conditional discharges now constitute a larger proportion of sentences, while a community service sentence is now less likely than ten years ago. The proportion of prison sentences, either immediate of suspended, has remained largely unchanged over this period.