SentenceCalc

Heroin Trafficking Sentence Calculator

Heroin is the reference column of the Drug Quantity Table: every other drug is measured against it. The weight is the whole mixture, cut included. In federal court, 100 g triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum and 1 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 minimum100 g21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(B)
10-year minimum1 kg21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(A)
150 g, no record60 monthsLevel 24, early plea

Calculate a heroin case

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Amounts and sentences

AmountBase levelNo criminal history points, early pleaWith the safety valve
50 g1812–18 monthsNo minimum
150 g2460 months
5-year minimum		24–30 months
1,500 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 10 g120–6 months
10 g to 20 g146–12 months
20 g to 40 g168–14 months
40 g to 60 g1812–18 months
60 g to 80 g2018–24 months
80 g to 100 g2224–30 months
100 g to 400 g2460 months5 years
400 g to 700 g2660 months5 years
700 g to 1 kg2860 months5 years
1 kg to 3 kg30120 months10 years
3 kg to 10 kg32120 months10 years
10 kg to 30 kg34120 months10 years
30 kg to 90 kg36120–135 months10 years
90 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.

Frequently asked questions

What amount of heroin triggers a federal mandatory minimum?

100 g of heroin triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum, and 1 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 150 g of heroin?

The Drug Quantity Table puts 150 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.