House Moves to Revamp Cocaine Criminal Code in Major Legislative Shift

By Daniel Stefanski |

Arizona legislators are progressing toward reforming an outdated criminal justice statute. This week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed HB 2720, which aims to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine in the state’s legal framework. Sponsored by State Representative Leo Biasiucci, the bill received overwhelming support, passing with a 59-0 vote, though one member abstained.

The initiative seeks to standardize the threshold amount for both cocaine base and hydrolyzed cocaine to align with the existing nine-gram threshold for powder cocaine. This change would abolish the controversial 750-milligram threshold for crack cocaine, a regulation criticized for unfairly targeting lower-income offenders without any scientific basis.

Biasiucci emphasized the need for change, stating, “For too long, Arizona’s laws have imposed an unjust sentencing disparity on two chemically identical substances. HB 2720 ensures our justice system is guided by facts and fairness, not outdated policies from nearly 40 years ago.” He also highlighted that aligning with federal standards and the majority of states addressing this issue is crucial for justice.

The bill gained unanimous support from the Arizona House Committee on the Judiciary earlier this month, receiving a 9-0 vote. Several organizations, including Dreamcorps and the Justice Action Network, expressed their support through the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system.

HB 2720 will now move to the Arizona Senate for further consideration.