Cannabis-Related Criminal Offenses in Slovenia: Trends and Patterns

• In Event: Drugs, crime and criminal justice

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of cannabis-related criminal offenses in Slovenia over a fourteen-year period (2009-2022), leveraging an extensive dataset from police records. Utilizing variables such as time and location of offenses, offender and incident characteristics, this research uncovers temporal trends, spatial patterns, and demographic profiles associated with the offenses.

Our analysis starts with an overview of cannabis-related offenses. This includes offender demographics, recidivism rates, intoxication status during police detainment, ties to organized crime, cannabis type involved in each offense, and the specific nature of the crime (e.g., cultivation of cannabis). The study then examines changes over time while considering offender and incident characteristics. It also looks at the frequency of offenses across Slovenia's regions and the physical settings where these offenses typically occur (e.g., recreational spaces).

Preliminary findings suggest notable trends and patterns. Most of the offenders were young adult males. More than a third of offenders were recidivists with a prior offense. A large majority of offenses were unrelated to organized crime. Distribution of cannabis emerged as the most frequent offense, ahead of cultivation and possession. Offenses most commonly involved the cannabis plant, with only a small proportion of cases pertaining to various cannabis extracts. Residential locations were the primary sites of the offenses, followed by the traffic setting. The number of offenses was relatively constant for about a decade, with a marked drop in the most recent years.

This analysis can be used to inform strategies of policymakers, law enforcement, and public health officials dealing with these incidents.

Author

• Dean Lipovac, Institute of Criminology