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# Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Cannon AFB vs. Federal Court in the District of New Mexico
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-cannon-afb-vs-district-of-new-mexico/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:38.000Z
- Description: None of the 9 wrongful drug use convictions at Cannon AFB, New Mexico with a plea recorded came from a guilty plea. In federal court for the District of New Mexico, all 23 people sentenced for simple possession pleaded guilty. At Cannon, 10 of 15 convictions (67%) included confinement, with a median
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) › Drug Use: Cannon AFB

**In brief:** None of the 9 wrongful drug use convictions at Cannon AFB, New Mexico with a plea recorded came from a guilty plea. In federal court for the District of New Mexico, all 23 people sentenced for simple possession pleaded guilty. At Cannon, 10 of 15 convictions (67%) included confinement, with a median of 3.4 months; in the district, 9 of 23 people (39%) received a prison term, with a median of 3.6 months.

Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 23 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## A District-Wide Federal Group

The federal cases in this post come from the whole District of New Mexico. Cannon AFB is located in that district, but these are not the installation's cases. Most of the people sentenced did not serve in the military.

The court-martial side counts convictions where the records list the trial location as "Cannon AFB, New Mexico". All 15 were Air Force cases, tried from 2017 to 2023\. The federal side counts people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under 21 U.S.C. 844\. Each federal fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30.

Federal law does not punish drug use itself. Simple possession is the closest federal charge to Article 112a use, so it is the charge compared here.

## Contested Cases at Cannon, Guilty Pleas in the District

A plea was recorded for 9 of the 15 Cannon convictions. In all 9, the accused did not plead guilty. Each of those cases was contested and ended in conviction. The plea is not recorded for the other convictions.

The federal group went the other way. All 23 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and none was convicted after a trial. Of those guilty pleas, 96% had a written plea agreement and 4% were straight pleas with no agreement.

Because the Cannon records include no guilty pleas, this post cannot compare sentences after a guilty plea with sentences after a contested case at the base.

## Confinement and Discharges at the Base

Of the 15 convictions with a sentence recorded, 10 (67%) included confinement. The median adjudged confinement was 3.4 months. A quarter received 11.6 months or more.

Of the 14 enlisted members convicted, 7 received a punitive discharge (50%): 1 dishonorable discharge and 6 bad-conduct discharges. The 1 officer convicted was dismissed. 5 of the 15 convictions (33%) were at a general court-martial.

For trials in 2016 to 2019, the median confinement was 7.4 months (8 cases with confinement). For trials in 2020 to 2025, it was 2.1 months, but that rests on 2 cases.

|                                    | Courts-martial at Cannon AFB         | Federal court, District of New Mexico |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
| Convictions or people sentenced    | 15                                   | 23                                    |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 67%                                  | 39%                                   |
| Median confinement or prison       | 3.4 months                           | 3.6 months                            |
| A quarter received this or more    | 11.6 months                          | 17.1 months                           |
| Pleaded guilty                     | 0 of 9 with a plea recorded (0 of 9) | 100%                                  |
| Mandatory minimum applied          | See the caveats                      | 3 of 23 with the information (13%)    |

## Federal Prison, Probation, and Supervision

In the district, 14 of the 23 people (61%) received probation only. The other 9 (39%) received a prison term. Among those 9, the median prison term was 3.6 months. A quarter received 17.1 months or more, and a quarter received 0.6 months or less.

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 8 people (35%), with a median term of 24 months. A fine was ordered for 7 (30%), and restitution for 1 (4%). A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 3 (13%).

## Where Federal Sentences Fell Against the Guidelines

The guideline range position was recorded for 22 people. Of those, 68% (15) were within the range, 18% (4) were below it at the government's request, 5% (1) was below it without a government request, and 9% (2) were above it.

Criminal history is part of the federal record. Here, 65% were in category I, the lowest, and 4% in category VI, the highest. Courts-martial keep no criminal history field.

## Numbers for All Courts

All courts-martial for this offense in the data produced 1,071 convictions, with a median confinement of 3 months. All federal districts sentenced 6,268 people for simple possession, with a median prison term of 6 months. Both Cannon and the District of New Mexico had a median below 6 months.

## What Is Missing

Court-martial sentences are as adjudged at trial, before any clemency or appeal. Federal prison terms are as imposed, not time served. The records do not show the drug, the evidence, or why the Cannon cases were contested. With 15 convictions on one side and 23 people on the other, a few cases can change any of these figures.

### How We Counted

Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Cannon AFB, New Mexico, ending in a conviction for wrongful drug use (Article 112a), compared with federal simple possession, the nearest federal charge (15). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the District of New Mexico (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "New Mexico") under a conviction under 21 U.S.C. 844 (simple possession), the nearest federal charge (23). The installation is matched to the federal district for the county where it sits.

Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.

### What to Keep in Mind

**Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.

**Different cases reach each system.** Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.

**No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.

**Military confinement credit and parole.** For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.

**Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not.** A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.

**Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.

**Offense categories do not line up exactly.** Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.

**Drug use has no federal counterpart.** Federal law does not make drug use a crime. A positive drug test is not a federal offense; a civilian can be charged only with possessing the drug. Bringing drugs onto a military installation is also a military-only offense. For these, the nearest federal charge is simple possession, and the post says that the match is not exact.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) (overview)
- [Federal Sentences in the District of New Mexico, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-new-mexico/) (the federal district)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Barksdale AFB vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Louisiana](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-barksdale-afb-vs-western-district-of-louisiana/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Beale AFB vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-beale-afb-vs-eastern-district-of-california/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-bremerton-vs-western-district-of-washington/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-air-force/)
- [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-army/)
- [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-marine-corps/)
- [Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [What Sentence Follows an Army Drug Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Often Are Contested Army Article 112a Cases Acquitted?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Guilty Pleas in Army Drug Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Are Air Force Drug Courts-Martial Disappearing? Article 112a, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Much Confinement for an Article 112a Conviction in the Air Force?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Pleading Guilty to Article 112a in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Much Confinement for an Article 112a Conviction in the Navy-Marine Corps?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Fighting a Navy-Marine Corps Drug Charge: How Contested Cases Ended](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [When Navy-Marine Corps Accused Plead Guilty to Drug](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 112a UCMJ Drug Offenses and Positive Urinalysis](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)

**About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.