The Fair Sentencing Act signed into law by President Obama made the disparity between ______________ prison sentences and _______________ prison sentences closer to equal.

• A. A Cocaine, Crack
• B. B Cocaine, Heroin
• C. C Marijuana, Alcohol related
• D. D Cocaine, LSD

Answer: (A)

The question tests understanding of how the Fair Sentencing Act changed federal penalties for crack versus powder cocaine. Historically, crack penalties were far harsher, with a 100:1 disparity: a small amount of crack carried the same sentence as a much larger amount of powder cocaine. The act narrowed this gap by raising the crack threshold to 28 grams, so that roughly the same sentence as 500 grams of powder cocaine could be imposed for crack amounts that size, reducing the ratio to about 18:1. In short, the act made sentences for cocaine (powder) and crack cocaine closer to equal. It does not address other drugs like heroin, marijuana, or LSD, which is why those options aren’t the focus here.