Virginia legal term
Dispense in Virginia Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Virginia legislative session
In Virginia criminal law, “Dispense” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Virginia criminal code.
What does “Dispense” mean in Virginia criminal law?
"Dispense" means to deliver a drug to an ultimate user or research subject by or pursuant to the lawful order of a practitioner, including the prescribing and administering, packaging, labeling, or compounding necessary to prepare the substance for that delivery. (Va. Code Ann. § 54.1-3401)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.