Special Report

Most Common Drug Offenses in Each State

Samuel Stebbins

Published: November 16, 2023 11:20 am

More than half a century has passed since President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Still, drug misuse remains a problem in the United States, and one that only appears to be getting worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 106,699 fatal overdoses in 2021, a 16.2% increase from 2020, and up over 50% from 2019. 

The vast majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. are linked to opioids, such as prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl. While these drugs are the deadliest, they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to risky drug use in the United States. Government data shows that about half of all Americans aged 12 and over used illegal drugs or misused prescription drugs in their lifetime – and drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and methamphetamine are each far more widely used than heroin. (Here is a look at the cities with the most drug overdose deaths.)

The apparent failure of the ongoing war on drugs has resulted in policy makers rethinking harsh criminal penalties for offenders. Still, each year in the United States, police respond to hundreds of thousands of criminal incidents involving drugs. These crimes range in severity, from possession and trafficking, to aggravated assault and homicide. And some drugs are far more commonly linked to crimes than others. 

Using data from the FBI, 24/7 Wall St. identified the drugs most commonly seized by law enforcement in each state. For each state, we reviewed the number of seizures of 17 different types of drugs reported in 2021 and listed each of the three types of drugs that law enforcement seized most often. States are listed in alphabetical order. Due to data limitations, drug seizure rankings were not available for Texas. 

Though recreational marijuana is now legal in 23 states, including 18 where it was legalized in 2021 or earlier, marijuana still ranks among the top drugs confiscated by law enforcement in nearly every state. About 11,800 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. submitted 2021 crime data to the FBI, between them reporting 340,721 incidents in which marijuana was seized – by far the most of any drug. These seizures were made in connection to a litany of crimes, including arson, vandalism, pick-pocketing, prostitution, car theft, shoplifting, and violations directly related to drug possession. (These are the 19 states where you can go to prison for having weed.)

Other drugs most commonly seized by American law enforcement include meth/amphetamines, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine.

It is important to note that not all incidents in which police confiscate drugs result in an arrest or criminal conviction. Drug-related arrests are, in fact, becoming less common. Between 2018 and 2020, the number of arrests for drug offenses in the U.S. fell by about 30% – from 1.65 million to 1.16 million. 

Here are the most common drug offenses in each state.

Alabama

Source: Jacqueline Nix / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 15,767
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 8,690 seizures (55.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 4,562 seizures (28.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 550 seizures (3.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 356 out of 481 in state (73.8% of state pop. covered)

Alaska

Source: Melissa Kopka / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 1,012
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 470 seizures (46.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 327 seizures (32.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 249 seizures (24.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 30 out of 50 in state (54.6% of state pop. covered)

Arizona

Phoenix Police Department Squa... (CC BY 2.0) by Tony Webster

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 11,279
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 5,420 seizures (48.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 1,078 seizures (9.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 604 seizures (5.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 79 out of 148 in state (54.2% of state pop. covered)

Arkansas

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 19,878
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 10,273 seizures (51.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 9,041 seizures (45.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 476 seizures (2.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 285 out of 348 in state (95.6% of state pop. covered)

California

Police Officer Contingent (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Chris Hunkeler

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 11,429
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 7,902 seizures (69.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,411 seizures (12.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 651 seizures (5.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 15 out of 801 in state (7.3% of state pop. covered)

Colorado

Medina County Park District Ra... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 14,520
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 8,622 seizures (59.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 2,492 seizures (17.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,932 seizures (13.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 235 out of 301 in state (98.2% of state pop. covered)

Connecticut

Source: carminesalvatore / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 5,068
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 1,660 seizures (32.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 1,590 seizures (31.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,134 seizures (22.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 107 out of 126 in state (98.5% of state pop. covered)

Delaware

Delaware Police Ford Expeditio... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 4,718
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 2,318 seizures (49.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,505 seizures (31.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 824 seizures (17.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 62 out of 78 in state (98.4% of state pop. covered)

Florida

Orange County Florida Sheriff ... (CC BY 2.0) by Steven Straiton

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 122
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 39 seizures (32.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 32 seizures (26.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 31 seizures (25.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 2 out of 827 in state (0.0% of state pop. covered)

Georgia

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 33,349
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 20,639 seizures (61.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 9,766 seizures (29.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 1,836 seizures (5.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 447 out of 800 in state (78.6% of state pop. covered)

Hawaii

Honolulu Police Squad Car with... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tony Webster

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 1,712
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 949 seizures (55.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 467 seizures (27.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 122 seizures (7.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 2 out of 5 in state (73.5% of state pop. covered)

Idaho

Source: CRobertson / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 12,868
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 8,260 seizures (64.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 4,823 seizures (37.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,046 seizures (8.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 110 out of 145 in state (95.6% of state pop. covered)

Illinois

Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 10,886
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 5,708 seizures (52.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 2,644 seizures (24.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 940 seizures (8.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 328 out of 1071 in state (61.6% of state pop. covered)

Indiana

Indianapolis Metropolitan Poli... (CC BY 2.0) by Sarah Stierch

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 25,075
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 15,142 seizures (60.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 7,388 seizures (29.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,604 seizures (6.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 192 out of 364 in state (77.1% of state pop. covered)

Iowa

Source: Steve Pope / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 12,567
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 7,782 seizures (61.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 4,562 seizures (36.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 387 seizures (3.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 206 out of 300 in state (90.7% of state pop. covered)

Kansas

Source: frankysze / iStock via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 15,364
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 10,763 seizures (70.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 5,352 seizures (34.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 462 seizures (3.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 334 out of 473 in state (86.2% of state pop. covered)

Kentucky

Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 27,907
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 14,060 seizures (50.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 11,756 seizures (42.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 3,372 seizures (12.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 426 out of 594 in state (98.9% of state pop. covered)

Louisiana

Source: ablokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 22,624
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 13,215 seizures (58.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 4,035 seizures (17.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,015 seizures (4.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 136 out of 312 in state (70.9% of state pop. covered)

Maine

Source: krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 2,682
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 762 seizures (28.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 423 seizures (15.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 312 seizures (11.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 129 out of 160 in state (95.1% of state pop. covered)

Maryland

Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 6,311
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 3,985 seizures (63.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 815 seizures (12.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 631 seizures (10.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 18 out of 189 in state (45.6% of state pop. covered)

Massachusetts

Source: Alexandre Tziripouloff / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 8,910
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 2,201 seizures (24.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 2,195 seizures (24.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 1,751 seizures (19.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 376 out of 447 in state (99.2% of state pop. covered)

Michigan

Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 21,653
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 8,963 seizures (41.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 3,411 seizures (15.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 2,983 seizures (13.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 618 out of 852 in state (93.4% of state pop. covered)

Minnesota

Source: jferrer / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 20,089
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 9,704 seizures (48.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 8,471 seizures (42.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,089 seizures (5.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 412 out of 494 in state (94.2% of state pop. covered)

Mississippi

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 11,617
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 6,784 seizures (58.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 3,827 seizures (32.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 414 seizures (3.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 137 out of 280 in state (56.7% of state pop. covered)

Missouri

Police (CC BY 2.0) by Paul Sableman

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 33,807
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 17,900 seizures (52.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 12,937 seizures (38.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,776 seizures (5.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 478 out of 716 in state (93.9% of state pop. covered)

Montana

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 2,830
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 2,037 seizures (72.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 472 seizures (16.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 270 seizures (9.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 106 out of 138 in state (96.8% of state pop. covered)

Nebraska

Source: Eric Thayer / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 9,035
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 6,117 seizures (67.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 3,156 seizures (34.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 180 seizures (2.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 235 out of 335 in state (51.6% of state pop. covered)

Nevada

Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 12,075
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 7,745 seizures (64.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,942 seizures (16.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 1,789 seizures (14.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 56 out of 81 in state (99.4% of state pop. covered)

New Hampshire

Source: Nickbeer / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 5,395
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 2,172 seizures (40.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,340 seizures (24.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 1,031 seizures (19.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 208 out of 245 in state (96.3% of state pop. covered)

New Jersey

Source: Adonis page / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 2,619
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,108 seizures (42.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 617 seizures (23.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 564 seizures (21.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 177 out of 617 in state (41.2% of state pop. covered)

New Mexico

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 3,489
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 1,809 seizures (51.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 829 seizures (23.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 525 seizures (15.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 42 out of 145 in state (60.6% of state pop. covered)

New York

Source: tillsonburg / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 4,301
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 760 seizures (17.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 622 seizures (14.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 582 seizures (13.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 124 out of 899 in state (17.1% of state pop. covered)

North Carolina

Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 58,173
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 34,767 seizures (59.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 11,923 seizures (20.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 5,210 seizures (9.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 387 out of 600 in state (93.1% of state pop. covered)

North Dakota

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 6,313
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 3,523 seizures (55.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 2,450 seizures (38.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 295 seizures (4.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 112 out of 145 in state (96.6% of state pop. covered)

Ohio

Ohio State Police Crown Victor... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 32,613
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 15,044 seizures (46.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 8,265 seizures (25.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 2,881 seizures (8.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 597 out of 927 in state (88.6% of state pop. covered)

Oklahoma

Source: Susan Vineyard / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 18,086
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 8,954 seizures (49.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 8,112 seizures (44.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 917 seizures (5.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 452 out of 506 in state (99.1% of state pop. covered)

Oregon

Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 6,770
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 4,468 seizures (66.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,463 seizures (21.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 1,047 seizures (15.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 208 out of 243 in state (96.3% of state pop. covered)

Pennsylvania

Source: Bastiaan Slabbers / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 7,632
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 4,183 seizures (54.8% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,683 seizures (22.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 1,334 seizures (17.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 40 out of 1855 in state (15.8% of state pop. covered)

Rhode Island

Source: raksyBH / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 2,490
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 1,219 seizures (49.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 400 seizures (16.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 329 seizures (13.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 47 out of 50 in state (99.3% of state pop. covered)

South Carolina

Source: csfotoimages / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 39,123
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 23,844 seizures (60.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 10,176 seizures (26.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 2,338 seizures (6.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 411 out of 513 in state (97.8% of state pop. covered)

South Dakota

Vermilion South Dakota Police ... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tony Webster

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 5,830
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 3,211 seizures (55.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 2,598 seizures (44.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Hashish; 502 seizures (8.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 110 out of 187 in state (88.1% of state pop. covered)

Tennessee

Washout Memphis-Jackson-16 (CC BY 2.0) by Office of Public Affairs

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 53,924
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 28,563 seizures (53.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 17,807 seizures (33.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 5,203 seizures (9.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 437 out of 576 in state (99.6% of state pop. covered)

Texas

Source: typhoonski / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: N/A
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 1,007 out of 1,297 in state (97.5% of state pop. covered)

Utah

Source: Onfokus / iStock via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 16,825
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 10,199 seizures (60.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 5,792 seizures (34.4% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 3,043 seizures (18.1% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 126 out of 184 in state (90.6% of state pop. covered)

Vermont

Source: Scott Eisen / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 1,041
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 370 seizures (35.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Crack Cocaine; 236 seizures (22.7% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 198 seizures (19.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 88 out of 103 in state (96.7% of state pop. covered)

Virginia

Source: Imagesbybarbara / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 26,760
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 8,262 seizures (30.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 7,642 seizures (28.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 3,290 seizures (12.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 412 out of 462 in state (99.8% of state pop. covered)

Washington

Source: Juan Jose Napuri / iStock via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 5,435
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 2,953 seizures (54.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,426 seizures (26.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 540 seizures (9.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 248 out of 317 in state (98.9% of state pop. covered)

West Virginia

Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 9,766
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 3,935 seizures (40.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 3,541 seizures (36.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 1,942 seizures (19.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 247 out of 471 in state (87.7% of state pop. covered)

Wisconsin

Source: mtcurado / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 24,746
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 16,645 seizures (67.3% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 5,256 seizures (21.2% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Cocaine; 1,365 seizures (5.5% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 324 out of 487 in state (90.3% of state pop. covered)

Wyoming

IMG_2538 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Elvert Barnes

• Total incidents involving drug seizures in 2021: 2,612
• Most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Marijuana; 1,592 seizures (60.9% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 2nd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Meth/ Amphetamines; 1,007 seizures (38.6% of all incidents involving drugs)
• 3rd most common drug seized by law enforcement in 2021: Heroin; 158 seizures (6.0% of all incidents involving drugs)
• Law enforcement agencies reporting crime data: 47 out of 84 in state (76.2% of state pop. covered)

Methodology

To identify the drugs most commonly seized by law enforcement in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program. Within each state, we reviewed the number of seizures of 17 different types of drugs reported in 2021 and listed each of the three types of drugs that law enforcement seized most often. A single incident could result in the seizure of multiple drugs. States are listed in alphabetical order. Due to data limitations, drug seizure rankings were not available for Texas. 

Non-specific drug classifications, including those recorded as “unknown” or “other,” were counted in the total number of incidents but were not ranked on this list. 

The data used in this story was submitted to the FBI by state and local law enforcement agencies across the country. Data on the number of agencies reporting within each state and the share of the state population within those agencies’ jurisdictions is also from the FBI. This data is current as of 2021 in every state except Nebraska, where the most recent available participation data is current as of 2020.