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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57290</law_id><section_number>18.2-263</section_number><catch_line>Unnecessary to negative exception, etc.; burden of proof of exception, etc</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7">Crimes Involving Health and Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">Drugs</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>In any complaint, information, or <span class="dictionary">indictment</span>, and in any action or proceeding brought for the enforcement of any provision of this article or of the Drug Control Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Citation" href="/54.1-3400/">54.1-3400</a> et seq.), it shall not be necessary to negative any exception, excuse, proviso, or exemption contained in this article or in the Drug Control Act, and the <span class="dictionary">burden of proof</span> of any such exception, excuse, proviso, or exemption shall be upon the <span class="dictionary">defendant</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 54-524.108; 1970, c. 650; 1975, cc. 14, 15.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
