Cannabis and Drug-Related Crime in Slovenia: Prevalence, Trends, and Risk Factors

• In Event: Drug-crime links

Abstract

Illicit markets for controlled substances are interlinked with numerous individual, social, and health challenges. This study examines drug-related crime in Slovenia, with a particular focus on cannabis. Using police and judicial data from 2009 to 2023, we analyze trends, demographics, and geographic distribution of offenses related to different substances.
Findings indicate that drug-related crimes constitute a small portion of overall criminal activity, with a steady decline observed in recent years, in line with the overall decrease in crime. Cannabis is the most common illicit drug, appearing in a significant share of drug-related offenses, both in cases of unauthorized production and distribution as well as facilitation of drug use. The latter offense is disproportionately linked to cannabis, likely due to the social nature of its consumption.
Demographic analyses reveal that individuals involved in cannabis-related crimes are predominantly young males, with a higher presence of minors compared to other drug offenses. Offenses involving heroin and cocaine are more frequently linked to older offenders, recidivists, and organized crime. Cannabis-related crimes occur at a higher rate per capita in northeastern Slovenia, whereas offenses involving other drugs are more evenly distributed geographically.
The study also finds that individuals involved in drug-related offenses are somewhat more likely to commit certain other types of crime, particularly theft. Among individuals with two or more offenses, drug-related crimes are somewhat more likely to be the first recorded offense than expected by chance, suggesting they may sometimes serve as a potential gateway into criminal behavior.
This study serves as a starting point for future research on drug-related criminality in Slovenia, as many findings raise new questions worthy of further exploration.

Authors

• Dean Lipovac, Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law Ljubljana

• Kristina Cufar, Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law Ljubljana