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AMENDMENTS TO THE GUIDELINES MANUAL

2024

AMENDMENT 123

Section 2D1.1(a) is amended by deleting:

"(a) Base Offense Level:

(1) 43, for an offense that results in death or serious bodily injury with a prior conviction for a similar drug offense; or

(2) 38, for an offense that results in death or serious bodily injury and involved controlled substances (except Schedule III, IV, and V controlled substances and less than: (A) fifty kilograms of marihuana, (B) ten kilograms of hashish, and (C) one kilogram of hashish oil); or

(3) For any other offense, the base offense level is the level specified in the Drug Quantity Table below.",

and inserting in lieu thereof:

"(a) Base Offense Level (Apply the greatest):

(1) 43, if the defendant is convicted under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(B), or (b)(1)(C), or 21 U.S.C. § 960(b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3), and the offense of conviction establishes that death or serious bodily injury resulted from the use of the substance and that the defendant committed the offense after one or more prior convictions for a similar offense; or

(2) 38, if the defendant is convicted under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(B), or (b)(1)(C), or 21 U.S.C. § 960(b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3), and the offense of conviction establishes that death or serious bodily injury resulted from the use of the substance; or

(3) the offense level specified in the Drug Quantity Table set forth in subsection (c) below.".

The Commentary to §2D1.1 captioned "Application Notes" is amended in Note 1 by deleting "‘Similar drug offense’ as used in §2D1.1(a)(1) means a prior conviction as described in 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b) or 962(b).", and inserting in lieu thereof "‘Mixture or substance’ as used in this guideline has the same meaning as in 21 U.S.C. § 841.".

Reason for Amendment: The purpose of this amendment is to provide that subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) apply only in the case of a conviction under circumstances specified in the statutes cited. The amendment also clarifies that the term "mixture or substance" has the same meaning as it has in the statute.

Effective Date: The effective date of this amendment is November 1, 1989.