Tell Congress: Pass the EQUAL Act
Did you know that in America, one form of cocaine can land you behind bars for years, while the other form could get you a slap on the wrist?
Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are two forms of the same drug, yet under federal law, we do not impose the same harsh penalties for each. One gram of crack cocaine carries the same sentence as 18 grams of powder cocaine.
Again, crack and powder cocaine are identical, but you need 18 times more of one to equal the punishment of the other. This makes it much easier to trigger a mandatory minimum for the sale of crack cocaine than if the same offense were committed with powder cocaine. The disparity is unjust, nonsensical, and racist, and it must end.