The difference between crack and cocaine palmer lake. Marijuana, crack, cocaine and heroin have all been under scrutiny these days. Cocaine is usually inhaled in powder form through the nose. Maximum penalties for possession are 7 years imprisonment plus a fine and for supply and production the maximum penalty is life imprisonment plus a fine. The federal government sought to crack down on the problem by implementing severe prison sentences for those people caught dealing crack cocaine. There is also a differentiation between powdered and crack cocaine at the federal level. This disparity between crack and powder cocaine was driven by fear, instead of by research, of the intensity and perceived dangers of. What are the differences between crack, meth, and heroin. Crack seems to have a bad reputation and is put up there with the hardest drugs like heroinmeth but is it basically just cocaine. The difference between crack cocaine and powder cocaine powder cocaine is made from coca paste, which is derived from the leaves of the coca plant. Why, then, is the punishment for crack cocaine so much harsher than the. Download 32page term paper on sentencing disparities between crack cocaine vs.
Crack and cocaine are related substances, but there are some very important differences between cocaine vs crack. It is illegal to be in possession of either crack or cocaine or supply them to other people. To recap, there is a difference between crack and cocaine in. Both crack and cocaine are drugs that are created from the coca plant. Heroin, methamphetamine and crack cocaine are arguably the most addictive and harmful drugs in the world. Learn more about the history of cocaine and crack, how history has reshaped the reputation of the drugs, and how the legal system handles sentencing differently by. The adaa created a 100toone ratio between the quantity of crack versus powder cocaine needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentencing. Sociology 380 crime and deviance flashcards quizlet. Both are potent and addictive, but crack is often considered the more dangerous. Most people, when they think about crack or cocaine, tend to lump them together. As a result of the antidrug abuse act of 1986, congress set forth different mandatory penalties for cocaine and crack cocaine, with significantly. Specifically, the difference between how the judicial system handles powder cocaine and crack cocaine magnifies the unfair treatment and racial injustice blacks receive compared to their white counterparts. A comprehensive examination of the 100to1 crack versus powder cocaine sentencing disparity under which distribution of just 5 grams of crack carries a minimum 5year federal prisonsentence, while distribution of 500 grams of powder cocaine carries the same 5year mandatory minimum sentence. Cocaine has been known to be a more addictive substance compared to other drugs, for instance, heroin.
The difference between crack and cocaine palmer lake recovery. The result of these laws is that crack users and dealers receive much harsher penalties than users and dealers of powder cocaine. After cocaine and baking soda are combined, the mixture is boiled, and a solid forms. It has been long observed in research that the differences between crack cocaine and powder cocaine are minor, and the difference in the manner in which both substances are normally taken is. The disparity started in the 1980s, when crack cocaine started to ravish urban black communities in america. But its beginnings were mired in racism, in some cases forcing cocaine use on black slaves and workers for increased production. Crack, which is derived from powdered cocaine, is a rocklike form of cocaine that can be smoked to achieve a high. But in reality, according to experts, crack cocaine and powder cocaine are essentially identical. It is refined by removing hydrochloride salt that is present in the street form of cocaine. These two substances are actually almost chemically identical. Fair sentencing act american civil liberties union. May 09, 2020 download 32page term paper on sentencing disparities between crack cocaine vs.
We wrote this paper to inform the public and congress about the disparities in the sentencing laws between crack and powder cocaine, which. Keep reading for a comparison of cocaine and crack and their dangers. Crack cocaine often nicknamed crack after the sound made during its manufacture is a lowerpurity form of freebase cocaine and contains sodium bicarbonate as impurity. Difference between new york state and federal statutes. Dmichigan, recently contended that the new law will reduce sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100to1 to 18to1. This disparity between crack and powder cocaine was driven by fear, instead of by research, of the intensity and perceived dangers of crack cocaine. The basic differences between the two are the level or amount of refinement.
Jan 12, 2019 these are two different forms of the same drug. The process to make crack cocaine involves mixing the powder form of cocaine with some base, such as baking soda or another substance, boiling it in water, and then removing the baking soda. Crack cocaine is made by dissolving powder cocaine a derivative of coca leaves and baking soda in boiling water and then cutting the resulting paste into small rocks after it dries. In new york, crack and cocaine are treated the same. Beyond those, there really arent many differences when comparing crack cocaine vs cocaine. Difference between cocaine and heroin difference between. The root of the problem started in 1986 with the antidrug abuse act, signed by president ronald reagan. Federal crack cocaine sentencing the sentencing project.
Nevertheless, cocaine and heroin may be regarded as two of the most addictive substances around. Under the old sentencing guidelines, the penalty for possessing a gram of crack cocaine was the same as that for possessing 100 grams or about 312 ounces of powder cocaine, with a corresponding. It is said that crack makes a crackling sound when smoked. Feb 22, 2015 crack and cocaine may be nearly identical on a molecular level, but people who are charged with possession of just 1 gram of crack are given the same sentence as those found in possession of 18. Why are crack cocaine sentences longer than those for powder. Data show racial disparity in crack sentencing congress passed the fair sentencing act to make punishments for crack and cocaine more equal. In the 1980s, crack use created an epidemic that affected thousands of people in poor urban communities in the united states. Obama expected to ease crackcocaine sentencing disparities. Lets take a look at cocaine and crack and how they affect the body. The antidrug abuse act of 1986 enacted a fiveyear minimum sentence for a first.
Crack and cocaine are both drugs created from the coca plant but have a different level of refinement. Crack is a rock form of cocaine that is smoked and cheaper to produce. The rocks are usually sold in single doses to users who smoke them. Crack cocaine is essentially the same substance as powdered cocaine but in a different form. Discuss the connections between either becker, erikson, or quinneys approaches to. Dmichigan, recently contended that the new law will reduce sentencing disparity between crack and powder. What is the chemical difference between crack cocaine and powder cocaine that justified this disparity. The intensity and duration of the high largely relate to how the drug is taken, per the national institute on drug abuse. There is no significant chemical differencecrack and powder cocaine are both forms of cocaine. Powder cocaine is snorted, injected or swallowed, while crack cocaine is. In the federal system, however, crack is punished far more than cocaine. This means that, chemically, they are nearly identical and hence, produce similar results. Is crack just a free base form of cocaine that can be smoked or does it have different effects.
Federal penalties differ from new york state ones, and apply to possession only, although being arrested with even a small amount usually results in a charge of possession with intent to distribute. Here are summaries of them after which i will insert a table from a study which assessed the addictiveness and harmfulness of most drugs. Crack and cocaine may be nearly identical on a molecular level, but people who are charged with possession of just 1 gram of crack are given the same sentence as those found in possession of 18. Sentencing commission, a federal agency, found that crack cocaine is not appreciably different from powder cocaine, either in its chemical composition or the physical reactions of its users. Crack is freebase cocaine that can be smoked, and therefore has different effects.
Crack cocaine is simply made by taking powder cocaine and cooking it with baking soda and water until it forms a hard rocky substance. Crack is a freebase form of cocaine that may be smoked. However, there is a difference in the way that the drugs are taken. Until 2010, this sentencing disparity was 100 to 1, which means that while just 5 grams of crack would carry a 5year mandatory minimum, it would take 500 grams. Crack cocaine is more dangerous or more addictive than powder cocaine. The new law significantly reduces the cocaine sentencing quantity disparity from 100 to 1 to 18 to 1 by raising the quantity of crack cocaine necessary to trigger the five and tenyear mandatory minimum sentences first set in 1986. What options are available to treat cocaine addiction. Before this law was passed, the united states had a 100to1 cracktopowder cocaine sentencing. The difference between crack and cocaine powder cocaine powder is derived from coca paste. The only difference is the pharmacokinetics, but this makes the effects different. While they are both different chemical forms of cocaine, they differ in how they are made, how they are abused, their cost, dangers, effects, and more. Oct 01, 2007 as a result of the antidrug abuse act of 1986, congress set forth different mandatory penalties for cocaine and crack cocaine, with significantly higher punishments for crack cocaine offenses. Dec 03, 2019 maryland distinguished between offenses involving powder cocaine and crack cocaine using a 9to1 ratio, according to a 2002 report to congress. Maryland distinguished between offenses involving powder cocaine and crack cocaine using a 9to1 ratio, according to a 2002 report to congress.
The drug causes short but intense euphoric effects. Heroin is a strong opioid drug that is considered a sedative. Powder cocaine cocaine hcl is water soluble and degrades in heat. What are the differences between crack and cocaine. Because crack and powder cocaine are two forms of the same drug, there should not be any disparity in sentencing between crack and powder cocaine offenses the only truly fair ratio is 1. While the coca plant may only supply a mild high and is used by native shepherds, cocaine is a concentrated form of particular chemicals. S house of representatives passed legislation to reduce the sentencing disparity between federal crack and powder cocaine sentences. A comprehensive examination of the 100to1 crack versus powder cocaine sentencing disparity under which distribution of just 5 grams of crack carries a. Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are sometimes referred to in research and other outlets simply as cocaine, but there is a big difference between the two. These rocks are then broken into pieces and sold in small. Aug 03, 2010 data show racial disparity in crack sentencing congress passed the fair sentencing act to make punishments for crack and cocaine more equal. There has been much argument over substances that induce addiction. The difference between crack and cocaine powder cocaine powder is derived from coca paste, which is in turn derived from the leaves of the coca plant. The primary difference between crack and powdered cocaine, some say, is the public perception of the user and seller the white suburbanite usually.
The sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine attn. The court concluded that crack is more dangerous to the user and society than powder cocaine, and, therefore, the statute was not in violation of the equal protection clause of the us constitution, and that the1. Although crack is essentially the same as cocaine, it can carry far different consequences. The drugsentencing bill attracted little notice in washington. Powder cocaine is snorted, injected or swallowed, while crack cocaine is smoked. Crack cocaine sentences have long been much more harsh than those for powder cocaine. One would think, based on the sentencing laws, that crack cocaine is a very different drug than powder cocaineand much worse. Beyond those, there really arent many differences when comparing crack cocaine vs. Difference between crack and cocaine difference between. They have the same energy rush, but meth tends to also casue halucinations and moderate paranoia, as well as tooth loss and longterm mental problems. Why are crack cocaine sentences longer than those for.
What is crack cocaine differences between crack and cocaine. The legislation also eliminates the mandatory minimum for simple possession of crack cocaine. Crack vs cocaine the differences between the punishments with crack and cocaine has been an issue with the war on drugs not many politicians, or americans, are willing to face. There are no pharmacological differences between powder cocaine and crack cocaine. After a decade of contentious debate regarding the federal sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine, a number of significant initiatives to reform current. Another difference between crack and cocaine relates to the high produced. Many people wonder what the difference is between crack vs. Crack was an innercity drug, a streetcorner drug, a drug of gangs and guns that white america largely experienced from a distance. Generally, when cocaine is injected or smoked, the drug takes effect more quickly, resulting in a more intense but shorter high. Cocaine and crack are controlled as class a drugs under the misuse of drugs act. The difference between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Drug crimes have continued to plague the nation nationally, filling prisons with.
What is the difference between crack, cocaine, crank, and. What happens if you mix cocaine with alcohol or other drugs. That is understandablecocaine, or coke, refers to the powdered form of the drug, while crack is whats called a rock, or more solid, version of cocaine. The primary difference between crack and powdered cocaine, some say, is the. Oct 28, 1995 the primary difference between crack and powdered cocaine, some say, is the public perception of the user and seller the white suburbanite usually linked with powdered cocaine, and the young. The stark difference in federal sentencing laws for possession of the two forms of the same drug has more to do with media mythology and political pressure than with public safety and health. Difference between crack and cocaine crack cocaine. Responded differently to the opioid and crack cocaine epidemics. While there is no pharmacological difference between cocaine and crack, the way that it is consumed can lead to a difference in how intense its effects are.