State v. Kast

852 P.2d 242, 120 Or. App. 74, 1993 Ore. App. LEXIS 714
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedMay 12, 1993
DocketCR 0871 TM; CA A74299
StatusPublished

This text of 852 P.2d 242 (State v. Kast) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Kast, 852 P.2d 242, 120 Or. App. 74, 1993 Ore. App. LEXIS 714 (Or. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

ROSSMAN, P. J.

Defendant was charged with unlawful possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, methylamine, in violation of ORS 475.992. The trial court sustained his demurrer to the indictment. The state appeals and we reverse.

ORS 475.005(6) defines “controlled substance” as

“a drug or its immediate precursor classified in Schedules I through V under the Federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 811 to 812, as modified under ORS 475.035. The use of the term ‘precursor’ in this subsection does not control and is not controlled by the use of the term ‘precursor’ in ORS 475.940, 475.950 and 475.955.” (Emphasis supplied.)

ORS 475.035 grants authority to the Board of Pharmacy (Board) to modify the schedule. The statute provides, in part:

“(1) In arriving at any decision on changes in or addition to classification when changes or additions are proposed by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration or by any other reliable source, the board shall review the scientific knowledge available regarding the substance, its pharmacological effects, patterns of use and misuse, and potential consequences of abuse, and consider the judgment of individuals with training and experience with the substance.
“(3) If a substance is an ingredient of a controlled substance, the ingredient shall be considered to be in the same schedule as that controlled substance. Substances which are precursors of the ingredient shall not be subject to control solely because they are precursors of the ingredient. The use of the term ‘precursor’ in this subsection does not control and is not controlled by the use of the term ‘precursor’ in ORS 475.940, 475.950 and 475.955.”

The Board has promulgated OAR 855-80-022, Schedule II,1 which includes “Substances,” “Opiates,” “Stimulants,” “Depressants,” “Hallucinogenic Substances,” “Immediate precursors” and, under “Other substances”:

“(a) Unless specifically excepted or listed in another schedule, any material, compound, mixture or preparation [77]*77which contains any quantity of the following substances or their salts or stereoisomers having potential for abuse associated with the preparation of controlled substances:
“(C) Methylamine!.]”

Defendant waived appearance on appeal. In his demurrer he argued that, as a matter of law, methylamine cannot be a controlled substance. He contended that phenylacetone is the immediate precursor to methamphetamine and methylamine is the precursor of phenylacetone. Defendant’s argument depends on a narrow reading of both the power of the Board and the substances which the Board may determine are subject to abuse. That approach does not comport with the language of ORS 475.005 and ORS 475.035.

Under ORS 475.005(6), the Board may list a “drug” and its “immediate precursor.” Under ORS 475.005(13), “drug” includes

“(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 humans or animals;
‘ ‘ (c) Substances (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals; and
“(d) Substances intended for use as a component of any article specified in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection; however, the term does not include devices or their components, parts, or accessories.”

Under subsection 13(d), “drug” may include the precursor of an ingredient of a controlled substance, because it is a substance intended for “use as a component” of a recognized drug. Defendant contended, however, that that definition of “drug” is overruled by ORS 475.035(3). As noted above, that statute provides that “[sjubstances which are precursors of the ingredient shall not be subject to control solely because they are precursors of the ingredient.”

[78]*78Defendant would read the statute to say that “substances which are solely precursors of the ingredient shall not be subject to control.” However, that is not what the statute says. It says that substances shall not be subject to control “solely because they are precursors of an ingredient.” That language does not eliminate from control all precursors of an ingredient. Rather, it provides that, unlike the automatic listing of an immediate precursor under ORS 475.005(6), a precursor of an ingredient cannot be listed as a controlled substance only on the basis that it is the precursor of an ingredient. It does not preclude listing the precursor of an ingredient when the factors set out in ORS 475.035(1) have been considered.

Defendant also argued that, in order to be listed, a substance must be subject to abuse, i. e., ‘ ‘use in the body. ” He cites ORS 475.035(1) to support that proposition. However, ORS 475.005(1)2 does not define abuse as defendant states, and “potential consequences of abuse” is one of the factors that may be considered in determining whether a substance should be listed as a controlled substance. OAR 855-80-022(7)(a) incorporates methylamine within the category, because the substance has the potential for abuse associated with the preparation of controlled substances. The trial court erred in concluding that, as a matter of law, methylamine could not be listed as a controlled substance.

Defendant also argued that there are no standards in ORS 475.035

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Related

State v. Sargent
449 P.2d 845 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1969)
State v. Long
843 P.2d 420 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1992)
State v. Long
823 P.2d 1031 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
852 P.2d 242, 120 Or. App. 74, 1993 Ore. App. LEXIS 714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-kast-orctapp-1993.