R.I. Gen. Laws § 21-28.5-1

Current through 2024 Public Law 457

Section 21-28.5-1 - "Drug paraphernalia" defined

(a) As used in this chapter, "drug paraphernalia" means all equipment, products, and materials of any kind which are intended for use or designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packing, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, ingesting, inhaling, or introducing into the human body a controlled substance in violation of chapter 28 of this title. "Drug paraphernalia" includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Kits intended for use or designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, or harvesting of any species of plant which is a controlled substance or from which a controlled substance can be derived;

(2) Kits intended for use or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, or preparing controlled substances;

(3) Isomerization devices intended for use or designed for use in increasing the potency of any species of plant that is a controlled substance;

(4) Testing equipment intended for use or designed for use in identifying or in analyzing the strength, effectiveness, or purity of controlled substances;

(5) Scales and balances intended for use or designed for use in weighing or measuring controlled substances;

(6) Dilutants and adulterants, such as quinine hydrochloride, mannitol, mannite, dextrose, and lactose, intended for use or designed for use in cutting controlled substances;

(7) Separation gins and sifters intended for use or designed for use in removing twigs and seeds from, or in cleaning or refining, marijuana;

(8) Blenders, bowls, containers, spoons, and mixing devices intended for use or designed for use in compounding controlled substances;

(9) Capsules, balloons, envelopes, and other containers intended for use or designed for use in packaging small quantities of controlled substances;

(10) Containers and other objects intended for use or designed for use in storing or concealing controlled substances; and

(11) Objects intended for use or designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or introducing marijuana, cocaine, hashish, or hashish oil into the human body, such as:

(i) Metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, or ceramic pipes with or without screens, permanent screens, hashish heads, or punctured metal bowls;

(ii) Water pipes;

(iii) Carburetion tubes and devices;

(iv) Smoking and carburetion masks;

(v) Roach clips, meaning objects used to hold burning material, such as a marijuana cigarette that has become too small or too short to be held in the hand;

(vi) Miniature cocaine spoons, and cocaine vials;

(vii) Chamber pipes;

(viii) Carburetor pipes;

(ix) Electric pipes;

(x) Air-driven pipes;

(xi) Chillums;

(xii) Bongs;

(xiii) Ice pipes or chillers; and

(xiv) Wide rolling papers which are designed for drug use.

(b) In determining whether an object is drug paraphernalia, a court or other authority may consider, in addition to all other logically relevant factors, the following:

(1) Statements by an owner or by anyone in control of the object concerning its use;

(2) Prior conviction, if any, of an owner, or of anyone in control of the object, under any state or federal law relating to any controlled substance;

(3) Direct or circumstantial evidence of the intent of an owner, or of anyone in control of the object, to deliver it to persons who the owner or person in control of the object knows, or should reasonably know, intend to use the object to facilitate a violation of this chapter. The innocence of an owner, or of anyone in control of the object, as to a direct violation of this chapter shall not prevent a finding that the object is intended for use, or designed for use, as drug paraphernalia;

(4) Instructions, oral or written, provided with the object concerning its use;

(5) Descriptive materials accompanying the object that explain or depict its use;

(6) National and local advertising concerning its use;

(7) The manner in which the object is displayed for sale;

(8) Whether the owner, or anyone in control of the object, is a legitimate supplier of like or related items to the community, such as a licensed distributor or dealer of tobacco products;

(9) The existence and scope of legitimate uses for the object in the community; and

(10) Expert testimony concerning its use.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 21-28.5-1

P.L. 1982, ch. 384, §1; P.L. 2000 , ch. 363, § 2; P.L. 2000 , ch. 520, § 2.