Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

Rhode Island General Laws Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21-28-2.02. Schedules of controlled substances--Establishment

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) There are established five (5) schedules of controlled substances, to be known as schedules I, II, III, IV, and V.

(b) The schedules I, II, III, IV, and V shall, unless and until amended pursuant to this chapter, consist of:  those enumerated in this article and include substances to be controlled by rule and/or regulation of the director of health as published, except all substances in schedules II, III, IV, and V will require a prescription to be dispensed by an apothecary in the state of Rhode Island;  provided, that a prescription will not be required in the following cases:  administering, dispensing, or selling at retail of any medicinal preparation that contains in one fluid ounce or if a solid or semi-solid preparation, in one avoirdupois ounce, not more than thirty and one-tenth (30.1) milligrams of opium.  Notwithstanding the definition of the word opium contained in any other general or special law, the word opium for purposes of this section shall be as defined in the official United States pharmacopoeia.  The prescription exemption authorized by this section shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) That the medicinal preparation administered, dispensed, or sold, shall contain, in addition to the narcotic drug in it, some drug or drugs conferring upon it medicinal qualities other than those possessed by the narcotic drug alone;

(2) That the preparation shall be administered, dispensed, or sold in good faith as a medicine and not for the purpose of evading the provisions of this chapter, and provided the preparation shall be dispensed or sold only to a person who shall sign his or her name and address in a legible manner in a record book to be kept for that purpose by the seller.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Rhode Island General Laws Title 21. Food and Drugs § 21-28-2.02. Schedules of controlled substances--Establishment - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ri/title-21-food-and-drugs/ri-gen-laws-sect-21-28-2-02/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard