Bill > HB1849

This bill modifies Virginia's drug laws to establish more stringent penalties for manufacturing, selling, distributing, or possessing fentanyl by creating new weight-based and pill-based criminal thresholds. Specifically, the bill introduces new penalty tiers for fentanyl-related offenses, including: 5 grams or more of pure fentanyl or 10 grams of a fentanyl-containing mixture, which would be a felony punishable by 5 years to life in prison; 25 grams or more of pure fentanyl or 50 grams of a fentanyl mixture, which would carry a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence; and even a new category addressing fewer than 10 pills containing fentanyl. The bill also creates additional penalty escalations for larger quantities, such as 1,000 or more pills, and for individuals involved in continuing criminal enterprises related to fentanyl distribution. These changes are part of a broader effort to address the ongoing opioid crisis by imposing stricter legal consequences for fentanyl-related drug offenses, with the goal of deterring drug trafficking and reducing the availability of this highly dangerous synthetic opioid.

Justice

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/HB1849