Opinion ID: 580579
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sentencing guideline section 2d1.1

Text: 3 The district court calculated the base offense level for Haley's sentence on the basis of the 6,379 marijuana plants that law enforcement officers seized during the investigation. Section 2D1.1(c) contains a drug quantity table used in determining an offender's base offense level premised on the weight of the drugs involved. A note to § 2D1.1(c) provides: 4 In the case of an offense involving marijuana plants, if the offense involved (A) 50 or more marijuana plants, treat each plant as equivalent to 1 KG of marijuana; (B) fewer than 50 marijuana plants, treat each plant as equivalent to 100 G of marijuana. Provided, however, that if the actual weight of the marijuana is greater, use the actual weight of the marijuana. 5 Haley challenges the constitutionality of the scheme in § 2D1.1 for converting the number of plants into a weight for sentencing purposes. He claims that the conversion is arbitrary because it does not correlate either to the actual weight of the plants or the yield each plant produces. He also claims that there is no rational basis for assigning a weight of 100 grams per plant in cases involving less that 50 plants, while designating one kilogram per plant when over 50 plants are involved. Unfortunately for Haley, his co-defendant Jimmy Dean Webb raised the same constitutional challenges in an earlier appeal, and this court rejected the claims, finding the scheme constitutional. United States v. Webb, 945 F.2d 967 (7th Cir.1991). It is unnecessary for us to rehash our earlier reasoning. Thus, Haley's challenge is without merit.