Greene criticises “arbitrary” fines for drug dealing

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene has today called for consistency in the sentences given out for drug dealing as he warned that a “pick a figure” approach would not serve as an effective deterrent.

Parliamentary questions filed by Mr Greene have revealed that for cases where the main charge was possessing heroin with an intent to supply the average fine was just £499 in the latest year for which the Scottish Government was able to provide figures. The average fine for cocaine dealing was £719, while for ecstasy it was £503 and cannabis it was £485.

Meanwhile, plain possession offences generated average fines of £243 for heroin, £356 for cocaine, £311 for ecstasy and £274 for cannabis.

In 2024, there were 1,065 suspected drugs deaths in Scotland, including 236 in the Greater Glasgow police region, 80 in Ayrshire and 70 in Renfrewshire & Inverclyde.

Research from National Records of Scotland suggests that opiates/opioids (such as heroin/morphine and methadone) were implicated in 80% of drug misuse deaths in 2023.

Jamie Greene said:

"Communities in the West of Scotland are only too familiar with the damage that drug dealers can do to vulnerable people.

“Given the vast profits and immense misery that heroin can generate, it seems strange that the punishment is a monetary fine of a sum that major players in the drugs business will treat as pocket change.

“Not only that but the punishments for different drugs feel totally arbitrary. The law acts like there’s little difference in the harm caused by drugs like heroin and the harm caused by something as common as cannabis.

“Likewise the difference between the punishment for possession and the punishment for drug dealing seems remarkably small. If someone is addicted to heroin, then often what they need is medical care and physical and mental health support. A fine doesn’t really help them, it just makes them more likely neglect food and family to get their fix.

“A pick a figure approach will always fail to serve as an effective deterrent. The Scottish Government should look at what can be done to standardise punishments and ensure that they are targeted at the dealers whose crimes hurt society as a whole, while helping people who are addicted to drugs to get support and treatment.”