D. Ariz. · Drug PossessionFY2018–FY2025

Drug Possession in the District of Arizona

Q: What is the typical sentence for drug possession offences in the District of Arizona?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 6 months, with the middle half of terms between 6 and 6 months. 93% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for drug possession offences is 4 months.

Q: How often are drug possession offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

— of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 0% below it for other reasons; 86% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

Q: How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, drug possession offences had a median prison term of 4 months and a within-range share of 90% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and close to the national within-range share.

Q: Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none and §2D2.1.

Q: Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

D. Ariz. · Ninth Circuit · Drug Possession nationally

The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.

<10cases, FY2025724 over FY2018–FY2025

6median prison monthsnational, this offence: 4

86%within guideline rangenational 90%

93%cases with a prison termnational 53%

§ 1Length of prison terms

24%

76%

<10

median 6 mo

under 6 mo6–11 mo1–2 yr2–3 yr3–5 yr5–10 yr10–15 yr15–20 yr20–30 yr30 yr+life

Share of cases with a prison term, by length of the term (676 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: drug possession offences nationally.

Interquartile range 6–6 months; mean 5. 0 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

724 drug possession offences were sentenced in the District of Arizona across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), <10 of them in FY2025; that is 2% of the district's caseload.

The median prison term was 6 months, longer than the national median for drug possession offences (4 months) and close to the Ninth Circuit median (6). Half of prison terms fell between 6 and 6 months; 93% of cases carried a prison term.

86% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 90%); — were below the range on a government motion and 0% below it for other reasons.

FY2023 had fewer cases than FY2018 (10 against 352). The median prison term was about the same in FY2020 as in FY2018.

These are aggregates of past cases. The guideline range for any case depends on its offence level, criminal history and statutory minimums, and the sentence on the court's findings; no figure here estimates an outcome.

§ 3Position relative to the guideline range

Within guideline range 86%Above range 13%Below range, government sponsored <10Below range, other 0%Not determinable 106

§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation

Measure	D. Ariz., drug possession	D. Ariz., all offences	9th Cir., drug possession	US, drug possession
Cases per fiscal year	91	4,563	125	342
Share of district caseload	2.0%	100%	—	—
Median prison months	6	9	6	4
Mean prison months	5	17	—	4
Cases with a prison term	93%	92%	79%	53%
Within guideline range	86%	33%	89%	90%
Above range	13%	1%	10%	6%
Below range, government sponsored	—	60%	2%	3%
Below range, other	0%	6%	—	3%
Median final offence level	2	12	—	2

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

352

184

147

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Drug Possession cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

—

<10

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25

Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)

Fiscal year	Cases	Prison	Median months	Within range	Below, gov.	Below, other	Above
FY2018	352	96%	6	83%	—	0%	16%
FY2019	184	95%	6	90%	0%	0%	10%
FY2020	147	—	6	88%	0%	0%	12%
FY2021	10	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY2022	10	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY2023	10	—	—	—	—	—	—
FY2024	<10	fewer than 10 cases
FY2025	<10	fewer than 10 cases

§ 6Criminal history

Category I96% · 71%

Category II2% · 9%

Category III<10

Category IV<10

Category V<10

Category VI0% · 5%

Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: drug possession offences nationally.

§ 7Guidelines applied

§none · 2,078 cases in the district (all offence types)
§2D2.1 Unlawful possession (drugs) · 10 cases in the district (all offence types)

Primary guidelines the Commission associates with this offence type, with the district's caseload under each across all offence types.

§ 8Questions and answers

What is the typical sentence for drug possession offences in the District of Arizona?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 6 months, with the middle half of terms between 6 and 6 months. 93% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for drug possession offences is 4 months.

How often are drug possession offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

— of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 0% below it for other reasons; 86% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, drug possession offences had a median prison term of 4 months and a within-range share of 90% over the same period. The district's figures are above on median term and close to the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §none and §2D2.1.

Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

§ 9Other offence types in the District of Arizona

§ 10Provenance

Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 9; district is CIRCDIST 64. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.