Crack V. Powder Cocaine

Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant that is native to South America (DrugAbuse.org). There are some valid medical uses for cocaine such as anesthesia. It’s mainly used as street drug. When on the street, cocaine looks like a very fine, white, crystal powder. The two main types of cocaine are crack and powder.

Crack cocaine is cocaine that has not been neutralized by acid (ThoughtsCo.com). It typically looks like an irregular shape and it’s usually an off-white sort of color. Like any form of cocaine, it’s very addictive. When people use crack they typically either smoke it or they burn it until it turns into a liquid. When they burn the crack it’s typically done through a pipe.

Powder cocaine looks more like powder hence the name. When powder cocaine is used it’s typically snorted (justice.gov). It can also be mixed with water and injected into the blood. Injecting the powder cocaine can take up to 15-30 minutes before the high hits, whereas when it’s snorted it takes about 3-5 minutes before the high hits. There are many differences between crack and powder cocaine. The big difference comes from the sentencing guidelines.

There is a significant difference between the sentencing guidelines for powder cocaine and crack cocaine. If someone was to be in possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine they would receive the same punishment as someone who was in possession of 28 grams of crack cocaine. Powder cocaine cannot be smoked, but it can be snorted or injected. That’s one big difference between the two.

Another difference between the two is the criminal history of the offenders. Those who are caught with crack cocaine tend to have a more serious criminal history than those caught with powder cocaine. The average sentence for powder cocaine trafficking offenders is 70 months in prison.

The guidelines are different for state and federal. The state level focuses on those who are dealing it within the state and those who use it. The federal level is stricter and deals with those who bring the cocaine into the states. In 2010, President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act.

The Fair Sentencing Act eliminates the mandatory minimum for simple possession of any form of cocaine (sentencingproject.org). This act also took away the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. It also took away the racial disparity that was