Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 420b - Dependency-Producing Drugs
Section 21a-277. (Formerly Sec. 19-480). - Penalty for illegal manufacture, distribution, sale, prescription, dispensing.

(a)(1) No person may manufacture, distribute, sell, prescribe, dispense, compound, transport with the intent to sell or dispense, possess with the intent to sell or dispense, offer, give or administer to another person, except as authorized in this chapter, any controlled substance that is a (A) narcotic substance, or (B) hallucinogenic substance.

(2) Any person who violates subdivision (1) of this subsection (A) for a first offense, shall be imprisoned not more than fifteen years and may be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars, or be both fined and imprisoned, (B) for a second offense, shall be imprisoned not more than thirty years and may be fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars, or be both fined and imprisoned, and (C) for any subsequent offense, shall be imprisoned not more than thirty years and may be fined not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or be both fined and imprisoned.
(b) (1) No person may manufacture, distribute, sell, prescribe, dispense, compound, transport with the intent to sell or dispense, possess with the intent to sell or dispense, offer, give or administer to another person, except as authorized in this chapter or chapter 420f, any controlled substance other than (A) a narcotic substance, or (B) a hallucinogenic substance, or (C) cannabis.
(2) Any person who violates subdivision (1) of this subsection (A) for a first offense, may be fined not more than twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than seven years, or be both fined and imprisoned, and (B) for any subsequent offense, may be fined not more than one hundred thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than fifteen years, or be both fined and imprisoned.
(3) For purposes of this subsection, “cannabis” has the same meaning as provided in section 21a-420.
(c) No person may knowingly possess drug paraphernalia in a drug factory situation as defined by subdivision (20) of section 21a-240 for the unlawful mixing, compounding or otherwise preparing any controlled substance for purposes of violation of this chapter.
(d) As an alternative to the sentences specified in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the court may sentence the person to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction for an indeterminate term not to exceed three years or the maximum term specified for the offense, whichever is less, and, at any time within such indeterminate term and without regard to any other provision of law regarding minimum term of confinement, the Commissioner of Correction may release the convicted person so sentenced subject to such conditions as the commissioner may impose including, but not limited to, supervision by suitable authority. At any time during such indeterminate term, the Commissioner of Correction may revoke any such conditional release in the commissioner's discretion for violation of the conditions imposed and return the convicted person to a correctional institution.
(1967, P.A. 555, S. 36; 1969, P.A. 753, S. 18; 1972, P.A. 278, S. 24; P.A. 73-681, S. 26, 29; P.A. 74-332, S. 2, 6; P.A. 75-567, S. 65, 80; P.A. 84-170; P.A. 85-613, S. 61, 154; P.A. 87-373, S. 4; P.A. 17-17, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-1, S. 15.)
History: 1969 act made provision applicable to persons possessing drugs with intent to sell or dispense and included cannabis-type drugs, made penalty optional rather than mandatory and allowed fine and/or imprisonment for subsequent offenses, previously wording required imposition of both, and added Subsec. (c) re indeterminate sentence; 1972 act substituted “substance” for “drug”, made provisions applicable to persons distributing controlled substances, made Subsec. (a) specifically applicable to hallucinogenic or amphetamine-type substances as well as to narcotic and cannabis-type substances, made Subsec. (b) applicable to controlled substances other than those in Subsec. (a) and allowed indeterminate sentencing for violations of Subsec. (a) as well as of Subsec. (b); P.A. 73-681 inserted new Subsec. (c) re possession of drug paraphernalia and relettered former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d); P.A. 74-332 specified hallucinogenic substances “other than marijuana” and deleted references to “amphetamine- and cannabis-type substances” in Subsecs. (a) and (b), deleted minimum imprisonment terms of 5 years for first offense and 10 years for subsequent offenses in Subsec. (a), increased maximum terms from 10 to 15 years for first offense and from 15 (second offense) or 25 (third or more offense) years to 30 years for all offenses beyond the first and allowed imposition of both fine and imprisonment and increased maximum terms in Subsec. (b) from 2 to 7 years for first offense and from 10 to 15 years for subsequent offenses; P.A. 75-567 made slight change to wording of Subsec. (b) for clarity, substituting “except” for “other than”; Sec. 19-480 transferred to Sec. 21a-277 in 1983; P.A. 84-170 amended Subsec. (a) by increasing fine for sale of controlled substance which is a hallucinogenic substance other than marijuana, or a narcotic substance from $3,000 to $50,000 for the first offense and $5,000 to $100,000 for each subsequent offense, and amended Subsec. (b) by increasing fine for sale of controlled substance except a narcotic substance or a hallucinogenic substance, other than marijuana from $1,000 to $25,000 for the first offense and from $5,000 to $100,000 for each subsequent offense; P.A. 85-613 made technical change; P.A. 87-373 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a penalty for a second offense and increased the fine for a subsequent offense from $100,000 to $250,000; P.A. 17-17 substantially amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) re person who manufactures, distributes, sells, prescribes, dispenses, compounds, transports, possesses, offers, gives or administers controlled substance with provisions re same, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “shall” with “may”, and amended Subsec. (d) by making technical changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-1 amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subpara. (C) re cannabis in Subdiv. (1), adding Subdiv. (3) defining “cannabis” and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2021.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes