Fewer People Were Charged with Marijuana Crimes in 2022

Federal officials in 2022 charged fewer people with marijuana-related offenses than they had in previous years, according to data compiled by the US Sentencing Commission in its latest Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics.

Just over 800 people were charged with violating federal marijuana laws in 2022. Ninety-nine percent of those charged were indicted for drug trafficking. Overall, those charged for marijuana-related violations comprised just four percent of all federal drug offenders.

Those totals represent a significant decrease from a decade ago, when federal officials charged nearly 7,000 people for violating federal marijuana laws. At that time, more people were federally indicted for marijuana offenses than for any other drug-related offense. However, since 2012, the number of people federally prosecuted for marijuana-related violations has fallen steadily.

In total, 32 percent of all people federally prosecuted in 2022 were charged with drug law violations.