Opinion ID: 583148
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: calculation of davis's base offense level

Text: 11 Davis contends that the district court improperly applied the Sentencing Guidelines by including the dead marijuana rootballs, the dried marijuana buds, and the currency in calculating his base offense level. He argues that Congress did not intend to include marijuana roots in calculating the amount of marijuana for purposes of sentence enhancement. Consequently, Davis contends that only the 95 live plants should have been counted. This contention is without merit. 12 According to the drug quantity table set forth in U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(c), for an offense involving 50 or more marijuana plants, each plant is treated as the equivalent of one kilogram of marijuana. Offenses involving between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana produce a base level offense of 26. See U.S.S.G. § 2D1.1(a)(3). In United States v. Turner, 898 F.2d 705 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 495 U.S. 962 (1990), we noted that determining the applicable offense level requires a two-step process: First, the court applies the offense guideline section in Chapter Two most applicable to the offense of conviction. Second, the court determines the applicable range (or offense level) in accordance with the Relevant Conduct section, § 1B1.3. Id. at 710 n. 3 (citations omitted). Guideline section 2D1.1(a)(3) indicates that Davis should receive a base offense level of 24 based on the 95 live marijuana plants. Next, the sentencing court must look to the Relevant Conduct section to ascertain whether the base offense level should be enhanced. The Relevant Conduct section provides: 13 [T]he base offense level ... shall be determined on the basis of the following: 14 ............................................................. 15 ................... 16