By james art 
Drug dealers and re-drug violators may face more harsh penalties under two bills of Del. Jed Arnold, R-Smyth County, presented on January 8th.
Arnold is the main patron saint of HB1848 and HB1849, which are aimed at controlled substances, including fentanyli. Both bills would amend Virginia’s drugs by introducing mandatory minimum sentences and weight -based penalties to limit drug possession and trafficking.
Virginia reported 2463 deaths from drug overdose in 2023, with 79% including fentanyl and its analogs.
HB1848 would impose mandatory minimum sanctions for repeated sentences for possession of controlled substances, such as heroin, fentanyl or cocaine. Virginia’s law now does not impose minimal sanctions on these violations.
The sentences proposed in the bill on these crimes include 20 days in prison and a fine of $ 500 for a second crime within five years; 45 days and $ 500 for a second crime within 10 years; 90 days and $ 500 for three crimes within 10 years; six months and $ 1,000 for three crimes within five years; and one year and $ 1,000 for four or more crimes within 10 years.
HB1849 is aimed at trafficking in fentanyl, introducing penalties based on weight for production, sale or distribution of the drug. The bill also recommends more structural convictions for people involved in ongoing criminal enterprises.
According to HB1849, crimes involving 5 grams of fentanyl, 10 grams of mixture or less than 10 pills will be sentenced to five years to life with a mandatory minimum of five years and fines to $ 1 million. For higher quantities, penalties increase, ranging from 20 years to life with a mandatory minimum of 20 years.
HB1848 and HB1849 penalties will require increased resources within state and local adult correction facilities, including bed space.
During the regular session in 2024, Arnold sponsored two similar bills, HB439 and HB437, which failed to accept the courts of the courts. HB439 has proposed penalties for possession of a controlled substance identical to those outlined in HB1848, while HB1849 upheld HB437 provisions by introducing additional weight and pill -based criteria.
While Arnold’s proposals failed, the addressing of drug abuse remains a priority of Virginia’s legislators during the 2024 session. In 2024, the General Assembly refined efforts to allocate opioid settlement , providing approximately $ 1.1 billion from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Millions were directed to southwestern Virginia for the expansion of healing services, programs to prevent strengthening and assisting efforts to enforce opioid crisis.
Bills such as HB1848 and HB1849 show that controlling the use and distribution of drugs could be the focus of the General Assembly in 2025, as in 2024 Arnold did not respond to requests for information on how these bills or abuse would be They enter into his brighter goals of politics for this for this, for this, this will fit into his broader goals of politics for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for that for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for this for that for that for that for that for that for that for that for that for that for that for that for this, for this for that for that for that for this, for this for that for that for that for this, for that for this for this for this, for that for this for this, for that for this for that for that for that for that for this, for that for this for that for that for that for that for this, for that for this for that for that for that for that for this to For this reason, this is why they are in his brighter goals for political purposes for this for this for this for this for this more wider goals for political purposes for this for this for this, the wider goals of politics for this for this For this session.
HB1848 and HB1849 are two out of 163 bills that are currently awaiting votes in the Courts Committee.