All controlled substances, the lawful possession of which is not established or the title to which cannot be ascertained, that have come into the custody of a peace officer, shall be forfeited pursuant to Chapter 2981. of the Revised Code, and, unless any such section provides for a different manner of disposition, shall be disposed of as follows:

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Terms Used In Ohio Code 3719.11

  • Hospital: means a facility registered as a hospital with the department of health under section 3701. See Ohio Code 3719.01
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • United States: includes all the states. See Ohio Code 1.59

(A) The court or magistrate having jurisdiction shall order the controlled substances forfeited and destroyed. The agency served by the peace officer who obtained or took custody of the controlled substances may destroy them or may send them to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation for destruction by it. A record of the place where the controlled substances were seized, of the kinds and quantities of controlled substances so destroyed, and of the time, place, and manner of destruction, shall be kept, and a return under oath, reporting the destruction, shall be made by the officer who destroys them to the court or magistrate and to the United States director, bureau of narcotics and dangerous drugs.

(B) Upon written application by the department of health, the court or magistrate that ordered the forfeiture of the controlled substances may order the delivery of any of them, except heroin and its salts and derivatives, to the department for distribution or destruction as provided in this section.

(C) Upon application by any hospital within this state that is not operated for private gain, the department of health may deliver any controlled substances that have come into its custody pursuant to this section to the applicant for medicinal use. The department may deliver excess stocks of the controlled substances to the United States director, bureau of narcotics and dangerous drugs, or may destroy the excess stocks.

(D) The department of health shall keep a complete record of all controlled substances received pursuant to this section and of all controlled substances disposed of pursuant to this section, showing all of the following:

(1) The exact kinds, quantities, and forms of the controlled substances;

(2) The persons from whom they were received and to whom they were delivered;

(3) By whose authority they were received, delivered, or destroyed;

(4) The dates of their receipt, delivery, or destruction.

(E) The record required by this section shall be open to inspection by all federal and state officers charged with the enforcement of federal and state narcotic and drug abuse control laws.