§1024. Exceptions; defenses; local needle exchanges

            A. Any provision of law to the contrary herein notwithstanding, the provisions of this Part shall not apply to the manufacture, sale, distribution, or advertisement of any product or object designed and sold primarily for scientific research, industrial, veterinary, or agricultural purposes, or for bona fide medical or clinical use.

            B. It shall be an affirmative defense that the person to whom the drug-related object or advertisement or notice was distributed had a prescription from a licensed medical practitioner or psychiatrist for marijuana or the controlled substance for which the object is primarily intended to be used. It is also an affirmative defense that the drug-related object was designed or marketed as useful primarily for veterinary or agricultural purposes.

            C. Any provision of law to the contrary herein notwithstanding, the provisions of this Part shall not prohibit the establishment and implementation of a needle exchange program within the jurisdiction of a local governing authority, including but not limited to a city, town, or parish, upon the express approval of the local governing authority.

            Added by Acts 1980, No. 669, §1; Acts 2006, No. 676, §3, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2017, No. 40, §1, eff. June 3, 2017; Acts 2022, No. 271, §4.