Hypodermic needles and syringes.

Existing law, until January 1, 2015, authorizes a pharmacist or physician to furnish 30 or fewer hypodermic needles and syringes for human use to a person 18 years of age or older solely for his or her personal use. This bill would delete that January 1, 2015, date of repeal and would, until January 1, 2021, authorize a pharmacist or physician to provide an unlimited number of hypodermic needles and syringes to a person 18 years of age or older solely for his or her personal use. Under existing law it is unlawful to possess an opium pipe or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphanelia used for unlawfully injecting or smoking specified controlled substances. Existing law, until January 1, 2015, exempts from this prohibition the possession of 30 or fewer hypodermic needles and syringes if acquired from an authorized source, and from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2018, inclusive, exempts from this prohibition possession solely for personal use of 10 or fewer hypodermic needles or syringes if acquired from an authorized source. This bill would, instead, and until January 1, 2021, exempt the possession of any amount of hypodermic needles and syringes that are acquired from an authorized source.