In California, in 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made 3,055 drug arrests; in 2006, 2,483 homicides were reported. In 2007, 6,088 juvenile and 153,856 adult felony arrests were made for drug violations in California, . In 2007, there were 147,301 misdemeanor arrests for drug violations.

Throughout the state of Los Angeles, cocaine is widely available. Los Angeles also has the country's biggest cocaine transshipment and distribution centers. In addition, cocaine is frequently available in San Francisco and other North California, regions.

High purity heroin is on the rise. This increased availability allows a new, younger population to snort heroin instead of injecting it with a needle. In California, , marijuana is still the most common and abused illegal substance. However, methamphetamine is the main drug threat in California, . Hispanics and Caucasians are the main consumers of meth, with many using it exclusively Ecstasy (MDMA) used to be regarded as the most popular club drug in California, among teens and young adults; however, there are indicators that ecstasy use may be declining on a whole. Still, ecstasy remains steadily available in geographical pockets. Recent studies reflect MDMA use is growing from raves and clubs into schools, private residences, and malls.

Per 2004-2005 NSDUH data, approximately 348,000 of Californians age 12-17 year old claimed prior month use of an illegal drug. In the 2005-2006 school year, 45 percent of California, 11th graders admitted to lifetime abuse of an illicit drug.

In California, , as of October 2006, there were 115,912 full-time law enforcement employees; specifically, 75,483 officers and 40,429 civilians. Most of the cocaine destined for America enters the states by land through entry ports along the California, /Mexico border. In Los Angeles, the cocaine purchased by gangs is converted into crack cocaine; thereafter it is sold locally or distributed into other California, cities and nationally. These organizations often rely on violence and intimidation to facilitate their drug trafficking activities.

In California, , Mexican organizations continue to rule the production and distribution of high-quality methamphetamine. A secondary trafficking group, comprising mainly of Caucasians, operates from labs that are smaller and more unsophisticated. In 2007, the DEA and state and local authorities reported 221 meth lab incidents in California, . This number decreased from 1,281 in 2003. As of April 16, 2007, California, had 155 drug courts that were in operation for at least two years; 6 had recently been created; and 10 were being implemented. In 2006, 30.4 percent of the defendants in California, who had been Federally-sentenced were guilty of committing a drug offense; 44 percent of these cases involved marijuana.

In 2006, in California, there were 193,717 treatment admissions for drug or alcohol, an increase from 183,278 in 2005. In 2005 and 2006, more than one-third of these treatment admissions were amphetamine-related.