Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 45. CRIMES

CHAPTER 10. MODEL DRUG PARAPHERNALIA ACT

Part 1. General Provisions

Determination Of What Constitutes Paraphernalia

45-10-102. Determination of what constitutes paraphernalia. In determining whether an object is drug paraphernalia, a court or other authority should 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 convictions, if any, of an owner or of anyone in control of the object under any state or federal law relating to any controlled substance or dangerous drug;

(3) the proximity of the object in time and space to a direct violation of this part;

(4) the proximity of the object to dangerous drugs;

(5) the existence of any residue of dangerous drugs on the object;

(6) 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 person knows or should reasonably know intend to use the object to facilitate a violation of 45-10-103 through 45-10-106. The innocence of an owner or of anyone in control of the object as to a direct violation of 45-10-103 through 45-10-106 does not prevent a finding that the object is intended for use or designed for use as drug paraphernalia.

(7) instructions, oral or written, provided with the object concerning its use;

(8) descriptive materials accompanying the object that explain or depict its use;

(9) national and local advertising concerning its use;

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

(11) 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;

(12) direct or circumstantial evidence of the ratio of sales of the object to the total sales of the business enterprise;

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

(14) expert testimony concerning its use.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 481, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1726, Ch. 56, L. 2009.