Opinion ID: 1907719
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Powdered Cocaine and Crack Cocaine.

Text: The government cannot and does not dispute the proposition that crack cocaine is a great deal more dangerous than the powdered form of the drug. Crack is far more addictive than cocaine. It is far more accessible due to its relatively low cost. And it has experienced an explosion of popularity. United States v. Cyrus, 281 U.S.App.D.C. 440, 443, 890 F.2d 1245, 1248 (1989). The United States Sentencing Guidelines treat distribution of one gram of crack as being equivalent, for purposes of sentencing, to the distribution of 100 grams of powdered cocaine. See, e.g., United States v. Lawrence, 951 F.2d 751, 754 (7th Cir.1991). The validity of such dramatically disparate treatment has been consistently sustained by the courts, for Members of Congress considered cocaine base to be more dangerous to society than cocaine because of crack's potency, its highly addictive nature, its affordability, and its increasing prevalence. Senator D'Amato addressed specifically the reasoning underlying the `100 to 1 ratio': `Because crack is so potent, drug dealers need to carry much smaller quantities of crack than of cocaine power. By treating 1,000 grams of freebase cocaine no more seriously than 1,000 grams of cocaine power, which is far less powerful than freebase, current law provides a loophole that actually encourages drug dealers to sell the more deadly and addictive substance, and lets them sell thousands of doses without facing the maximum penalty possible.' 132 Cong.Rec. S8092 (daily ed. June 20, 1986). United States v. Buckner, 894 F.2d 975, 978-79 (8th Cir.1990) (footnote omitted); see also id. n. 9; accord, Lawrence, supra, 951 F.2d at 754. In enacting the ONADIAA, the Council of the District of Columbia likewise recognized that crack is more dangerous than powdered cocaine. Under that legislation, a defendant who distributes 50 or more grams of crack is a major dealer. By contrast, a trafficker who sells less than 500 grams of powdered cocaine is treated as a minor dealer. See D.C.Code § 33-541(c)(1)(A-2)(ii). There is only one explanation for this ten-to-one ratio; the Council knew that a small amount of crack can do a great deal more harm than a like amount of cocaine powder.