Cocaine penalties

Cocaine and crack are controlled as class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to be in possession of either crack or cocaine or supply them to other people. Maximum penalties for possession are 7 years imprisonment plus a fine and for supply life imprisonment plus a fine. 

Different penalties apply for cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, LSD, methamphetamine, PCP, flunitrazepam, marijuana, and hashish ... 

The CSA also provides a system of penalties for drug possession or trafficking. The basic penalty for possession of a controlled substance is up to one year in prison plus a minimum fine of 1,000. This increases to up to three years and 5,000 for a third offense (counting previous convictions under state law). There are special higher penalties for possession of certain substances such as a mixture or substance which contains cocaine base, starting at up to three years and a fine of 5,000. 

United States Congress passes Anti-Drug Abuse Act. This federal law includes mandatory minimum sentences for first-time offenders with harsher penalties for possession of crack cocaine than powder cocaine. 

For Class A drugs, the penalty for possession is seven years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The supply penalty for this class, which includes cocaine and heroin, is life imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both penalties. 

The CSA classifies cathinone is a Schedule I substance, the same category as heroin and cocaine, and cathine as Schedule IV, which carries no mandatory prison penalties. 

In the 1970s there was a resurgence of powder cocaine use. This preceded the epidemic of crack cocaine in the 1980s. Because crack cocaine is cheaper than powder, it became more readily available to the young and the poor. Crack addiction and crime began to increase rapidly and this increase was publicized in the media. In response to public concern, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988 was passed. Known sometimes as the 100 1 law, this federal law includes mandatory minimum sentences for first-time offenders. The penalties are much harsher for possession of crack cocaine than powder cocaine. 

According to the Federal Trafficking Penalties, a first-time offender convicted of possessing five grams of crack cocaine, will receive a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison without parole. Five grams of crack cocaine, which can fit into a tablespoon, can be broken into 50-200 rocks to be smoked. 

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988 established federal mandatory minimum drug sentencing guidelines. The punishment exacted by the federal law is substantially greater than the punishment imposed by most state laws. For example, someone convicted of cocaine possession that receives a 12-year sentence in the state system may be liable for a mandatory life term if tried in the federal system. Also, most state laws do not differentiate between powder cocaine and crack cocaine. Federal law carries a much harsher penalty for crack than for powder. Possession of five grams of crack or 500... 

Federal Trafficking Penalties, which are outlined in the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and 1988, make a significant distinction between powder cocaine and crack cocaine. A first-time offender convicted for possession of 5 -9 grams of crack cocaine will receive a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and not more than 40 years. Fines for individuals can be up to 2 million. The federal mandatory minimum sentences for powder cocaine begin at 500—4,999 grams and trigger the same sentence. Penalties for convicted second-time offenders are a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years to life, with fines up to 4 million. This law is often referred to... 

Penalties for possession of Schedule I and II drugs (methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, PCP, LSD, and marijuana among others) are far more severe than are the penalties for possession of Schedule III drugs, but they should not be dismissed entirely. Federal sentencing guidelines for possession of ketamine, regardless of the quantity, stipulate prison terms of not more than five years and individual fines of not more than 250,000. Second time offenders will almost certainly earn jail time, with a sentence determined by the judge but not to exceed 10 years. The fine is also doubled, to 500,000. 

Consider the different effects and risks associated with the various forms of cocaine (chewing the coca leaf, snorting cocaine, injecting cocaine, smoking crack). Should different laws and penalties be applied to the different forms ... 

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