Opinion ID: 722439
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Calculating the Quantity of Marijuana

Text: 7 In United States v. Stevens, 25 F.3d 318 (6th Cir.1994), decided after petitioner's conviction and sentence had become final, this Circuit held that where a defendant is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, the equivalency provision of the sentencing guidelines assigning each marijuana plant an equivalent weight applies only to possessing live marijuana plants, while the actual weight of the controlled substance applies to marijuana plants that have been harvested. Accordingly, Stevens vacated the sentence and remanded for resentencing so that defendant's sentence could be recalculated based on the number of unharvested plants plus the weight of the harvested plants, rather than their number. Petitioner seeks to avail himself of this decision. 8 The District Court concluded that such a retroactive application of Stevens was impermissible under Teague v. Lane, 489 U.S. 288, 109 S.Ct. 1060, 103 L.Ed.2d 334 (1989). This is incorrect. Teague stands for the proposition that new constitutional rules of criminal procedure will not be announced or applied on collateral review. Lockhart v. Fretwell, 506 U.S. 364, 372, 113 S.Ct. 838, 844, 122 L.Ed.2d 180 (1993) (emphasis added). Since Stevens does not announce a new constitutional rule of criminal procedure, its retroactive application is not barred by Teague or its progeny. 2 9 Therefore, if controlling, Stevens could be retroactively applied to petitioner's sentence. However, we believe Stevens is distinguishable on the basis of the underlying crime. Stevens involved conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, whereas here, petitioner was convicted of manufacturing (i.e., growing) marijuana. Defendant stipulated in his plea agreement and the colloquy at the time of the entry of the plea that he manufactured, specifically that he grew, at least 100 plants. The indictment charged that he manufactured, that is, grew marijuana. This Circuit recognizes that one reason behind the equivalency ratio in marijuana sentencing is to punish marijuana growers more harshly than mere marijuana possessors. 3 United States v. Holmes, 961 F.2d 599, 601 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 506 U.S. 881, 113 S.Ct. 232, 121 L.Ed.2d 168 (1992). If the equivalency ratio were deemed inapplicable in cases such as this, where a convicted grower of marijuana has just harvested his crop, this goal would be frustrated. So long as the government can prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that a particular grower charged with manufacture grew a particular plant, sentencing should be based on the equivalency ratio in the sentencing guidelines. 10 Further, the equivalency ratio should remain applicable to harvested plants in manufacture cases in order to treat all defendants convicted of manufacturing the same. Otherwise, the guideline range in post-harvesting manufacture cases would be different depending on how the plants were harvested: where the plants are harvested by cutting their stalks, the usable weight would determine the base offense level, but where the plants are pulled up by the roots the equivalency ratio would apply. 4 11 In sum, while Teague does not bar the retroactive application of caselaw interpreting the federal sentencing guidelines, Stevens is distinguishable from petitioner's case and thus cannot be used to collaterally attack his sentence. But see United States v. Shields, 87 F.3d 1194 (11th Cir. 1996) (en banc) (applying the live plant/harvested plant distinction to the sentencing of a grower).