Opinion ID: 698179
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the drug equivalency ratio of the sentencing guidelines

Text: 5 This court reviews the legality of a sentence de novo. United States v. Guzman-Bruno, 27 F.3d 420, 422 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 115 S.Ct. 451 (1994). Plata was sentenced according to USSG Sec. 2D1.1(a)(3)(c), which states that [i]n the case of an offense involving marihuana plants, if the offense involved [ ] 50 or more marihuana plants, treat each plant as equivalent to 1 KG of marihuana ... Plata contends that this formula violates due process because it creates a disparity in sentencing between marijuana growers and possessors. However, this court has previously considered and definitely rejected Plata's constitutional challenges to this provision, finding the formula rationally related to the legitimate objective of deterring criminal activity by punishing more severely those at the top of the distribution chain. See Belden, 957 F.2d at 676; United States v. Jordan, 964 F.2d 944, 947 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 113 S.Ct. 478 (1992). We therefore reject Plata's due process challenge to the Sentencing Guidelines' marijuana ratio.