Relating to penalties for the manufacture, delivery, or possession of certain amounts of controlled substances involving cocaine or cocaine base

This bill relates to penalties for the manufacture, delivery, or possession of certain amounts of controlled substances involving cocaine or cocaine base. Current law provides identical penalties for the manufacture, delivery, or possession of different amounts of cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, or salts of isomers, and certain mixtures of substances containing cocaine base. Current law provides that a violation involving more than 500 grams of cocaine or more than 200 grams of certain mixtures or substances containing cocaine base is a class “B” felony. The bill makes changes to the amount of cocaine base necessary to be present in certain mixtures or substances for a particular charge so that it corresponds to the amount of cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, or salts of isomers required for the same charge. The bill provides that a violation involving more than 500 grams of cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, or salts of isomers, or cocaine base is a class “B” felony punishable by confinement for no more than 50 years and a fine of not more than $1 million. A violation involving more than 100 grams, but not more than 500 grams of cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, or salts of isomers, or cocaine base is a class “B” felony punishable by confinement for no more than 25 years and a fine of not less than $5,000 nor more than $100,000. A violation involving less than 100 grams of cocaine, its salts, optical and geometric isomers, or salts of isomers, or cocaine base is a class “C” felony punishable by confinement for no more than 10 years and a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $50,000.