Title 21, Title 21 and Drugs

(a) A licensed medical marijuana cultivator licensed under this section may acquire, possess, manufacture, cultivate, deliver, or transfer medical marijuana to licensed compassion centers, to another licensed medical marijuana cultivator. A licensed medical marijuana cultivator s…

(a) No cannabis testing laboratory shall be subject to prosecution; search (except by the departments pursuant to regulations); seizure; or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business, …

(a) Effective July 1, 2016, except for the one hundred twenty-five thousand dollar ($125,000) fee paid by hybrid cannabis retailers pursuant to § 21-28.11-10, all fees collected by the departments of health and business regulation from applicants, registered patients, primary car…

The provisions of this chapter do not exempt any person from arrest, civil or criminal penalty, seizure or forfeiture of assets, discipline by any state or local licensing board or authority, and state prosecution for, nor may they establish an affirmative defense based on this c…

Upon final issuance of rules and regulations by the cannabis control commission pursuant to the provisions of chapter 28.11 of title 21, including, but not limited to, § 21-28.11-18, all powers, and duties, rulemaking authority, hearings, enforcement actions and administrative re…

The general assembly finds and declares that: (1) Modern medical research has discovered beneficial uses for marijuana in treating or alleviating pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with certain debilitating medical conditions, as found by the National Academy of Sciences…

For the purposes of this chapter: (1) “Authorized purchaser” means a natural person who is at least twenty-one (21) years old and who is registered with the department of health for the purposes of assisting a qualifying patient in purchasing marijuana from a compassion center. A…

(a) A qualifying patient cardholder who has in his or her possession a registry identification card shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, civil penalty or disciplinary action by a bu…

(a) Not later than ninety (90) days after the effective date of this chapter, the department of health shall promulgate regulations governing the manner in which it shall consider petitions from the public to add debilitating medical conditions to those included in this chapter. …

(a) The department of health shall issue registry identification cards to qualifying patients who submit the following, in accordance with the department’s regulations. Applications shall include but not be limited to: (1) Written certification as defined in § 21-28.6-3; (2) Appl…

(a) This chapter shall not permit: (1) Any person to undertake any task under the influence of marijuana when doing so would constitute negligence or professional malpractice; (2) The smoking of marijuana: (i) In a school bus or other form of public transportation; (ii) On any sc…

(a) Except as provided in § 21-28.6-7, a qualifying patient may assert the medical purpose for using marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana, and the defense shall be presumed valid where the evidence shows that: (1) The qualifying patient’s practitioner has…

(a) If the department of health fails to adopt regulations to implement this chapter within one hundred twenty (120) days of the effective date of this act, a qualifying patient may commence an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel the department to perform the ac…

(a) No person may possess one gram or more of pure dextromethorphan or dextromethorphan as defined in accordance with U.S. pharmacopeia reference standards extracted from solid or liquid dose forms, other than a medical facility, medical practitioner, pharmacist or pharmacy licen…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as “The Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Act of 2016.”

“Opioid antagonist” means a drug which is a competitive antagonist that binds to the opioid receptors with higher affinity than agonists but does not activate the receptors, effectively blocking the receptor, preventing the human body from making use of opiates and endorphins.

(a) A person may administer an opioid antagonist to another person if: (1) They, in good faith, believe the other person is experiencing a drug overdose; and (2) They act with reasonable care in administering the drug to the other person. (b) Any person, including law enforcement…

(a) Any person may provide, administer, or utilize a narcotic testing product to assist another person in determining whether a narcotic or substance contains chemicals, toxic substances, or hazardous compounds. Narcotic testing products shall include, but not be limited to, fent…

(a) Any person who, in good faith, without malice and in the absence of evidence of an intent to defraud, seeks medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose or other drug- or alcohol-related medical emergency shall not be charged or prosecuted for any cr…

In the first week of January, 2017, and each year thereafter, the attorney general shall, in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies and the state police, submit to the general assembly a report summarizing the impact of this chapter on law enforcement. The report shall i…

All lifeguards, and park and forest rangers, employed to work at any state or municipal public beach or facility on a full-time basis shall be trained in the administration of opioid antagonists, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. All state or municipal public beaches an…

(a) Every institute of higher education in the State of Rhode Island including all public and private colleges and universities shall provide training in the administration of opioid antagonists to every resident assistant as designated by the institution. Such campuses shall pro…

All facilities or persons legally entitled to use disposable syringes and needles including, but not limited to, hospitals and physicians, shall destroy them after one use. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor.

(a) The general assembly finds and declares it is in the interest of public health, safety, and welfare that a uniform state code is needed to regulate distributors of veterinary drugs conducting business within the state of Rhode Island; to provide for registration of distributo…

Records required by this chapter shall be maintained for not less than two (2) years after distribution of the drug has been completed.

For purposes of enforcement of this chapter authorized representatives of the director, upon presenting appropriate credentials to the owner, operator, or agent in charge, are authorized: (1) to enter, at reasonable times, any premises in which veterinary drugs are held for distr…

The extra-label use of any veterinary drug in or on a food-producing animal by any person other than a veterinarian or a person working under the control of a veterinarian is a prohibited act. Extra-label use of these drugs by or on the order of a veterinarian is not prohibited p…

The following acts and the causing of them are prohibited: (1) The distribution within the state of Rhode Island of a veterinary drug without a valid permit. (2) The distribution of a prescription veterinary drug to, or its possession by, any person other than the following: (i) …

Whenever the director has reason to believe that a permit holder is engaging in or has engaged in a prohibited act, the director may notify the permit holder in writing, specifying the violation in question and advising of its intent to suspend or revoke the permit and shall proc…

Whenever an authorized representative of the director encounters a prescription veterinary drug in the possession of a person who is not authorized by § 21-31.1-13, the representative may affix to the drug a tag or other appropriate marking, warning all persons not to remove or d…

Any veterinary drug found in violation of this chapter shall be liable to be proceeded against and seized and condemned upon petition to the judge of the police, county, or circuit court in whose jurisdiction the drug is found. Any drug condemned under this section shall, after e…

The appropriate courts of the state of Rhode Island shall have jurisdiction, for cause shown, to restrain violations of this chapter. In case of violation of an injunction or restraining order issued under this section, which also constitutes a violation of this chapter, trial sh…

Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500) or both; provided, that if any person commits a violation after a conviction under this section becomes final, that person shall…

The director may require a permit holder to recall any veterinary drug that has been distributed within the state of Rhode Island in violation of this chapter.

For the purpose of this chapter: (1) “Client” means the owner or caretaker of animal(s) who arranges for their veterinary care. (2) “Director” means the director of the department of health. (3) “Distributor” means and includes “manufacturers,” “wholesalers,” “veterinarians,” “ph…

The director has the power to make reasonable rules and regulations to implement this chapter.

(a) Permit required. Any person who is a distributor of veterinary drugs except licensed veterinarians within the state of Rhode Island must possess a valid permit issued annually by the director. (b) Application for permit. Any person desiring to be a distributor of veterinary d…

Any veterinary drug distributor except licensed veterinarians intending to operate in the state of Rhode Island shall be required to have a permit before commencing operations.

(a) A permit may be denied for any of the following: (1) The applicant has failed to file a complete permit application or the application contains material false information. (2) The applicant is not qualified by the criteria established by regulation of the director. (3) The ap…

(a) Packaging. A veterinary drug retailer shall deliver veterinary drugs to a client or client’s agent only in the original manufacturer’s package. (b)(1) Prescriptions. A prescription is required for the dispensing of a prescription veterinary drug to any client; except that a p…

Every veterinary drug dispensed pursuant to a prescription shall bear a label containing the name and address of the dispenser, prescription number, date of filling, name of the veterinarian, species of patient, name and strength of drug, amount dispensed, directions for use, wit…

Complete records shall be maintained by distributors of receipt and distribution of each veterinary drug. The records may be kept in the form of sales invoices, shipping records, prescription files, or of a record or ledger established solely to satisfy the requirements of this s…

This chapter shall be known, and may be cited as “The Rhode Island Food Donation Act.”

For the purposes of this chapter: (1) “Director” means the director of the department of health. (2) “Enforcement officers” means authorized agents of the director responsible for inspecting food, food establishments, dairies, or foodborne disease outbreaks. (3) “Food bank” means…

(a) A person, gleaner, or food facility may donate food to a food bank or to any other nonprofit charitable organization for distribution to persons free of charge. Food facilities may donate food directly to end recipients for consumption. (b) Except for injury resulting from gr…

A person, gleaner, or food facility who or that donates food as permitted by law shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or penalty for violation of any laws, regulations, or ordinances regulating the labeling or packaging of the donated product or, with respect to an…