Final answer:
The answer is A. 5 grams. This reflects historical sentencing policies where 5 grams of crack had the same penalty as 500 grams of cocaine, symbolizing racial and class disparities within the U.S. criminal justice system.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is A. 5 grams. Up until recently, possession of 5 grams of crack received the same sentence as 500 grams of cocaine. This was due to the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 which enacted minimum sentencing guidelines that disproportionately impacted the users and dealers of crack cocaine, a variation of the drug more commonly distributed in poorer urban communities and whose use was more prevalent among African American populations. The sentencing disparity was notably severe, with a 1 to 100 ratio where a person caught with just 5 grams of crack was liable for a minimum of a five-year federal prison sentence, while powder cocaine, a drug more associated with wealthier users, required possession of 500 grams to warrant the same sentence.
This legal disparity illustrates broader issues of racial and class inequality in the United States' criminal justice system. Symbolic interactionism can be applied to understand how powerful classes influence the creation of laws to favor their interests over those of less powerful groups. It wasn't until the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 that the disparity was reduced to 1 to 18, indicating a more equitable approach to drug sentencing but still reflecting existing biases against minority communities.