Cannabis charges fall slightly but imprisonments hold steady
The Ministry of Justice's cannabis offences tables for the year to 30 June 2026 show 5,690 finalised charges, down from 5,854 a year earlier, and 3,543 people charged, down from 3,606. Convictions were stable: 2,551 people were convicted, against 2,600 in 2024/25, and 558 received imprisonment as their most serious sentence, about 22%.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
The Ministry of Justice’s cannabis offences tables for the year to 30 June 2026 show 5,690 finalised charges, down from 5,854 a year earlier, and 3,543 people charged, down from 3,606. Convictions were stable: 2,551 people were convicted, against 2,600 in 2024/25, and 558 received imprisonment as their most serious sentence, about 22%. Of 2,596 cannabis conviction instances, 464 were for cannabis offences alone; the rest also involved other offences.[1][2]
Sources
- Justice statistics data tables (updated 17 September 2026). Ministry of Justice. Cannabis offences tables, published 15 September 2026.
- Cannabis offences data tables, June 2026. Ministry of Justice. Tables 1a, 2a, 4 and 6a.