SentenceCalc

Cocaine Trafficking Sentence Calculator

Powder cocaine is scored at one-fifth the weight of heroin: 500 grams of cocaine counts like 100 grams of heroin. A kilogram (“a brick” or “a key”) sits at level 24, above the 5-year line at 500 grams and three rows below the 10-year line at 5 kilograms (level 30). In federal court, 500 g triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum and 5 kg triggers 10 years.

Verified Checked against the manual text in at least five AI-assisted review rounds. Not yet reviewed by an attorney. Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2025Updated October 4, 2026

5-year minimum500 g21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(B)
10-year minimum5 kg21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(A)
1,000 g, no record60 monthsLevel 24, early plea

Calculate a cocaine (powder) case

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Amounts and sentences

AmountBase levelNo criminal history points, early pleaWith the safety valve
250 g1812–18 monthsNo minimum
1,000 g2460 months
5-year minimum		24–30 months
5,000 g30120 months
10-year minimum		46–57 months

Assumes no criminal history points, no weapon, no violence, no leadership role, an early guilty plea and the 2-level zero-point reduction.

The full quantity table

Amount (total mixture)Base levelNo criminal history points, early pleaMandatory minimum
Less than 50 g120–6 months
50 g to 100 g146–12 months
100 g to 200 g168–14 months
200 g to 300 g1812–18 months
300 g to 400 g2018–24 months
400 g to 500 g2224–30 months
500 g to 2 kg2460 months5 years
2 kg to 3.5 kg2660 months5 years
3.5 kg to 5 kg2860 months5 years
5 kg to 15 kg30120 months10 years
15 kg to 50 kg32120 months10 years
50 kg to 150 kg34120 months10 years
150 kg to 450 kg36120–135 months10 years
450 kg or more38135–168 months10 years

“No criminal history points, early plea” assumes zero criminal history points, no weapon, no violence and no leadership role, so the plea reduction and the 2-level zero-point reduction both apply. The mandatory minimum column assumes no prior serious drug felony or serious violent felony; the safety valve can remove it.

What to know

  • Crack cocaine is punished far more heavily for the same weight: the thresholds are about 18 times lower. See the crack cocaine calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What amount of powder cocaine triggers a federal mandatory minimum?

500 g of powder cocaine triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum, and 5 kg triggers 10 years (21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)), for someone without a prior serious drug felony or serious violent felony.

What is the guideline sentence for 1,000 g of powder cocaine?

The Drug Quantity Table puts 1,000 g at level 24. For someone with no criminal history points who pleads guilty, with no weapon, violence or leadership role, the guideline sentence is 60 months, driven by the 5-year minimum. With the safety valve it is 24–30 months.

Does the weight include the packaging or cutting agents?

Packaging, no. Cutting agents, yes: the weight is the entire mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of the drug, except for drugs the table measures by purity.