The point of breaking down the half kilo of cocaine into smaller "8-balls" is that breaking it down shows conclusively "intent to distribute" (or sell), which almost always carries a much larger jail sentence with a longer period before consideration for parole.
The cast includes three former Star Trek cast members: From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Penny Johnson Jerald played Kasidy Yates, Capt Sisko's girlfriend and later wife; Rosalind Chao played Keiko O'Brien, Miles O'Brien's wife, and Linda Park played Ensign Hoshi Sato on Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).