Opinion ID: 444031
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Conviction and Sentencing Under Section 841(a)(1)

Text: 55 The district court convicted and sentenced Roberts under 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841(a)(1) (1982) for both manufacture of and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The court's interpretation of the statute involves a question of law, which we review de novo. Jones v. Berry, 722 F.2d 443, 446 n. 4 (9th Cir.1983), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 2343, 80 L.Ed.2d 817 (1984).
56 The relevant section of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 841, provides that: 57 (a) Except as authorized by this subchapter, it shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally-- 58 (1) to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance .... 59 (Emphasis added.) 60 Roberts raises a question of first impression by challenging his conviction for both manufacture of and possession with intent to distribute the same marijuana under Sec. 841(a)(1). Arguing that Congress did not intend to punish separately for the possession with intent offenses (possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense) and the completed offenses (manufacturing, distributing, and dispensing), Roberts urges us to adopt the dissent's position in United States v. Gomez, 593 F.2d 210, 220-23 (3d Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, 441 U.S. 948, 99 S.Ct. 2172, 60 L.Ed.2d 1052 (1979). Robert's contention, however, is based on an entirely different fact situation from that in Gomez, or from that in this court's decision in United States v. Oropeza, 564 F.2d 316, 323-24 (1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 1080, 98 S.Ct. 1276, 55 L.Ed.2d 788 (1978). 61 Unlike Gomez, who was convicted of both possession with intent to distribute and distribution of the same cocaine, Roberts was convicted of possession with intent to accomplish a crime (distribution of marijuana) different from the completed crime (manufacture of marijuana) of which he was also convicted. The dissent's concern in Gomez that the defendant not be convicted twice for the same criminal act--the completed crime and the lesser included offense of possession with intent to accomplish that same crime--is not at issue in Roberts's case. It is clearly possible to manufacture marijuana without possessing it with the intent to distribute it to third parties--i.e., by growing it for personal use. 62 Similarly, in Oropeza, we dealt with separate sentences for the crimes of possession with intent to distribute and for distribution of the same heroin. Oropeza is consequently of no more help to Roberts than Gomez is. We therefore uphold the district court's imposition of separate sentences for manufacture and possession with intent to distribute under Sec. 841(a)(1).