The number of federal charges for cannabis trafficking has hit an all-time low, according to data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Last year, the federal government charged fewer than 500 people for trafficking cannabis, a 93% decline in such arrests since 2012.
According to the commission report, the average sentence imposed for federal drug trafficking crimes was 82 months. The majority of federal drug trafficking charges were for methamphetamine (45.7%), followed by fentanyl (22%), powder cocaine (19.4%), crack cocaine (3.8%), and heroin (3.3%). Just 2.6% of federal drug cases involved cannabis.
Individuals charged with offenses involving methamphetamine received the longest prison sentences – 100 months. Those charged with fentanyl-related offenses received 76-month sentences; 68 months was the average sentence for crack cocaine charges; 66 months was the average sentence for heroin; 64 months was the average sentence for powder cocaine; and 36 months was the average sentence for cannabis-related charges.
The report found that nearly half of individuals sentenced for drug trafficking were Hispanic (45%), followed by Black (28%), and White (24%) but racial demographics varied by the type of drug involved in the offense: Hispanic individuals were the most common racial group sentenced for powder cocaine and heroin trafficking offenses (72% and 58%, respectively), while Black individuals were the most common racial group in crack cocaine trafficking offenses (77%).
Almost all of the 18,281 drug cases reported to the Sentencing Commission involved the manufacture, sale, or transportation of a drug.
