{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/59.1-401.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/59.1-401.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/59.1-401.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/59.1-401.html"}],"law_id":84953,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84953,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-401","catch_line":"Possessing drugs","history":"1988, c. 855.","full_text":"The possession or transportation of any drug except those permitted by regulations of the Commission within the racing enclosure is prohibited except upon a bona fide veterinarian’s prescription with complete statement of uses and purposes on the container. A copy of such prescription shall be filed with the stewards. Any person knowingly violating the provisions of this section relating to the legal possession of drugs shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The provisions of the Drug Control Act (\u00a7 54.1-3400 et seq.) shall apply in situations where drugs regulated by that Act are within the racing enclosure.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":304405,"text":"The possession or transportation of any drug except those permitted by regulations of the Commission within the racing enclosure is prohibited except upon a bona fide veterinarian’s prescription with complete statement of uses and purposes on the container. A copy of such prescription shall be filed with the stewards. Any person knowingly violating the provisions of this section relating to the legal possession of drugs shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The provisions of the Drug Control Act (\u00a7 54.1-3400 et seq.) shall apply in situations where drugs regulated by that Act are within the racing enclosure.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15234,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Penalties","identifier":"6","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13336,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:13","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:13","permalink":{"id":261217,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15234,"identifier":"6","token":"59.1\/29\/6","url":"\/59.1\/29\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13336,"edition_id":1,"name":"Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12809,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:40","permalink":{"id":261047,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13336,"identifier":"29","token":"59.1\/29","url":"\/59.1\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12809,"edition_id":1,"name":"Trade and Commerce","identifier":"59.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:54","permalink":{"id":259521,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12809,"identifier":"59.1","token":"59.1","url":"\/59.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":76932,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-395","catch_line":"Unlawful conduct of wagering","url":"\/59.1-395\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-395","metadata":false},{"id":58000,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-396","catch_line":"Fraudulent use of credential","url":"\/59.1-396\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-396","metadata":false},{"id":63315,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-397","catch_line":"Unlawful transmission of information","url":"\/59.1-397\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-397","metadata":false},{"id":71643,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-398","catch_line":"Touting","url":"\/59.1-398\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-398","metadata":false},{"id":67671,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-399","catch_line":"Bribing of a jockey, driver or other participant","url":"\/59.1-399\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-399","metadata":false},{"id":79191,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-400","catch_line":"Prohibited acts, administration of drugs, etc.; penalty","url":"\/59.1-400\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-400","metadata":false},{"id":84953,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-401","catch_line":"Possessing drugs","url":"\/59.1-401\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-401","metadata":false},{"id":76870,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-402","catch_line":"Racing under false name; penalty","url":"\/59.1-402\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-402","metadata":false},{"id":72053,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-403","catch_line":"Prohibition on persons under 21 years of age; penalty","url":"\/59.1-403\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-403","metadata":false},{"id":71353,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-404","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/59.1-404\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-404","metadata":false},{"id":75023,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-405","catch_line":"Conspiracies and attempts to commit violations","url":"\/59.1-405\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-405","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":79191,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-400","catch_line":"Prohibited acts, administration of drugs, etc.; penalty","url":"\/59.1-400\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-400","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":76870,"structure_id":15234,"section_number":"59.1-402","catch_line":"Racing under false name; penalty","url":"\/59.1-402\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-402","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/59.1-401\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1988. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 855 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1988 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":77846,"section_number":"54.1-3400","catch_line":"Citation","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3400\/"}],"permalink":{"id":261243,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84953,"identifier":"59.1-401","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-401","url":"\/59.1-401\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/59.1-401\/","token":"59.1\/29\/6\/59.1-401","dublin_core":{"Title":"Possessing drugs","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 59.1-401","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The possession<\/span> or transportation of any drug except those permitted by regulations of the Commission<\/span> within the racing enclosure<\/span> is prohibited except upon a bona fide veterinarian’s prescription with complete statement of uses and purposes on the container. A copy of such prescription shall be filed with the stewards<\/span>. Any person<\/span> knowingly violating the provisions of this section relating to the legal possession<\/span> of drugs shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>. The provisions of the Drug Control Act (\u00a7 54.1-3400<\/a> et seq.) shall apply in situations where drugs regulated by that Act are within the racing enclosure<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOSSESSING DRUGS (\u00a7 59.1-401)\n\nThe possession or transportation of any drug except those permitted by\nregulations of the Commission within the racing enclosure is prohibited except\nupon a bona fide veterinarian’s prescription with complete statement of\nuses and purposes on the container. A copy of such prescription shall be filed\nwith the stewards. Any person knowingly violating the provisions of this section\nrelating to the legal possession of drugs shall be guilty of a Class 1\nmisdemeanor. The provisions of the Drug Control Act (\u00a7 54.1-3400 et seq.) shall\napply in situations where drugs regulated by that Act are within the racing\nenclosure.\n\nHISTORY: 1988, c. 855.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}