Drug Offenses · National · FY2015–FY2025
Drug Possession
Average imposed sentence 3.0 mo in FY2025 - shorter-third average (≤ 21 mo) among 30 offense types.
- 3.0
- Avg months FY2025
- well below the national average
- 107
- Federal cases
- 72%
- Within guidelines
- high guideline adherence
- 68%
- Guilty plea
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Drug Possession ranks #21 of 30 by caseload (107 cases) and #29 of 30 by average sentence (3.0 months).
- #21
- Caseload of 30
- #29
- Avg sentence of 30
- 3.0 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 107
- This offense cases FY2025
Caseload rank covers every district with at least one FY case. Average-sentence rank covers districts with at least 100 cases so a thin docket cannot top the list. Offense ranks cover the 30 published guideline types. Averages follow offense mix, not court character.
Drug Possession FY2024→FY2025: +0.3 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 107 | 3.0 | 4.9 | 7.0 | 72% | 11% | 17% |
| FY2024 | 109 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 70% | 14% | 16% |
| FY2023 | 139 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 7.0 | 55% | 15% | 30% |
| FY2022 | 295 | 5.6 | 11.3 | 8.2 | 67% | 12% | 21% |
| FY2021 | 309 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 72% | 7% | 21% |
| FY2020 | 439 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 6.4 | 79% | 13% | 7% |
| FY2019 | 562 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 6.5 | 82% | 10% | 8% |
| FY2018 | 776 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 83% | 13% | 4% |
Drug Possession · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Utah posts the longest average (48.0 mo, 2 cases , +1500.0% vs national).
Where drug possession sentences sit among all federal sentences (FY2025)
Each bar counts imposed federal prison terms in that length band; the marker is this offense's average.
3 17th percentile longer than 17% of 61,431 federal sentences
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more federal sentences. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles · FY2025
Drug Possession - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Drug Possession cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 2 | 48.0 | +1500.0% |
| Eastern Washington | 1 | 12.0 | +300.0% |
| Eastern Tennessee | 1 | 11.0 | +266.7% |
| Northern West Virginia | 3 | 9.0 | +200.0% |
| Northern Texas | 4 | 6.1 | +102.9% |
| Eastern Texas | 2 | 6.0 | +100.5% |
| Southern Texas | 1 | 5.8 | +93.0% |
| Western Texas | 6 | 5.5 | +83.9% |
| Western New York | 1 | 2.5 | -18.0% |
| Oregon | 1 | 1.9 | -38.3% |
| Arizona | 9 | 1.4 | -53.1% |
| Southern California | 10 | 1.1 | -62.6% |
| Eastern North Carolina | 5 | 1.0 | -67.0% |
| Southern New York | 4 | 0.7 | -76.8% |
| New Mexico | 1 | 0.6 | -79.3% |
| Central California | 3 | 0.5 | -84.7% |
| North Dakota | 1 | 0.2 | -94.7% |
| Northern Illinois | 2 | 0.2 | -94.7% |
| Western Kentucky | 2 | 0.2 | -94.7% |
| Western North Carolina | 1 | 0.2 | -92.3% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(107 cases).
- Individual Rights · 100 cases · Other
- Manslaughter · 94 cases · Violent Crime
- Commercialized Vice · 88 cases · Other
- Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright · 83 cases · Fraud/Financial
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(3.0 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Other Offenses · 2.6 mo avg · Other
- Environmental · 7.0 mo avg · Other
- Immigration · 10.2 mo avg · Immigration
- Prison Offenses · 13.1 mo avg · Other
Same-category peers · Drug Offenses
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Drug Possession data shows
In FY2025, 107 federal defendants were sentenced for drug possession, with an average sentence of 3.0 months -- 48.9 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 72% of drug possession sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 17% below (downward departures or variances, often for cooperation). The below-range rate reflects how frequently prosecutors offer departure motions for substantial assistance. How the guidelines work
- The highest-average district for drug possession in FY2025 was Utah, averaging 48.0 months -- 45 months above the national average. Case-specific factors within this offense (criminal history, quantity or aggravating circumstances, cooperation) drive that gap as much as any district-level pattern; the comparison below shows the full spread. Utah data
- The average sentence for drug possession has fallen 1.8 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 4.8 mo; FY2025: 3.0 mo). The trend chart above compares actual sentences against the guideline midpoint each year. Post-Booker sentencing trends
Descriptive USSC aggregates, not legal advice; individual sentences depend on case-specific facts.
PlainSentencing is rendered directly from the United States Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data issue on this page.