California legal term
Drug in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “Drug” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “Drug” mean in California criminal law?
“Drug” means (a) substances recognized as drugs in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary, or any supplement to any of them; (b) substances intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or animals; (c) substances (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or animals; and (d) substances intended for use as a component of any article specified in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of this section. (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 11014)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.