Possession or control of controlled substances is authorized in the following instances and subject to the following conditions:

(A) Possession of controlled substances in the course of business by a manufacturer, wholesaler, outsourcing facility, third-party logistics provider, repackager of dangerous drugs, licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs, pharmacist, terminal distributor of dangerous drugs with a category III license issued under section 4729.54 of the Revised Code, or other person authorized to possess controlled substances under this chapter or Chapter 4729. of the Revised Code;

(B) Possession by any person of any schedule V narcotic drug exempted under section 3719.15 of the Revised Code, where the quantity of the drug does not exceed one hundred thirty milligrams of opium, thirty-two and five-tenths milligrams of morphine or any of its salts, two hundred sixty milligrams of codeine or any of its salts, one hundred thirty milligrams of dihydrocodeine or any of its salts, or thirty-two and five-tenths milligrams of ethylmorphine or any of its salts, or, in the case of any other schedule V controlled substance or any combination of narcotic drugs, where the quantity does not exceed in pharmacologic potency any one of the drugs named above in the quantity stated;

(C) As used in this division, "deception" and "theft offense" have the same meanings as in section 2913.01 of the Revised Code.

Possession by any person of any controlled substance that the person obtained pursuant to a prescription issued by a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs or that was obtained for the person pursuant to a prescription issued by a prescriber, when all of the following apply:

(1) The prescription is issued for a legitimate medical purpose;

(2) The prescription is not altered or forged and was not obtained through deception or commission of a theft offense;

(3) The drug is in a container regardless of whether the container is the original container in which the drug was dispensed to that person directly or indirectly by a pharmacist or personally furnished to that person by the prescriber.

(D) Possession in the course of business of combination drugs that contain pentobarbital and at least one noncontrolled substance active ingredient, in a manufactured dosage form, the only indication of which is for euthanizing animals, or other substance that the state veterinary medical licensing board and the state board of pharmacy both approve under division (A) of section 4729.532 of the Revised Code, by an agent or employee of an animal shelter who is authorized by the licensure of the animal shelter with the state board of pharmacy to purchase and possess the drug solely for use as specified in that section. As used in this division, "in the course of business" means possession or use at an establishment described in a license issued under section 4729.54 of the Revised Code, or outside that establishment when necessary because of a risk to the health or safety of any person, provided that the substance is in a quantity no greater than reasonably could be used to alleviate the risk, is in the original manufacturer's container, and is returned to the establishment as soon as possible after the risk has passed.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 229, §1, eff. 3/22/2019.

Effective Date: 07-22-1998.