November 17, 2025 | Incident and Crime Statistics , Alcohol and Drugs
Request Number: FOI/16080
Category: Incident and Crime Statistics - Alcohol and Drugs
Subject: Cannabis Farms
Request and Answer:
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) does hold information to which your request relates.
However the decision has been made not to supply the information you have requested as the Information is Reasonably Accessible by Other Means. Therefore Section 21 of FOI Act applies and our rationale is set out in more detail below.
We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office, which we have followed in responding to your request.
Question 1
I am requesting the following information regarding cannabis farm operations within your jurisdiction from September 2021 to September 2025:
The total number of cannabis farms detected or investigated by your force each year.
Question 2
The average estimated size of these cannabis farms (number of plants or premises size), if available.
Answer
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 it has been decided to refuse access to the information you have requested. Section 21 of the Act provides that information which is reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means is exempt information.
PSNI's Statistics Branch publish info on cannabis factories and cannabis plant quantities in our annual trends publication, the latest of which was published in September 2025. That publication can be found here: https://www.psni.police.uk/official-statistics/drug-seizure-statistics under Drug seizures and arrests Annual Trends 2006/07 to 2024/25.
Exemption explained
Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
- states that fact,
- specifies the exemption in question and
- states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.
The exemption/s, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:
Section 21(1) - Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means - Information which is reasonably accessible to the applicant otherwise than under section 1 is exempt information.
The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.