Operating or Maintaining Controlled Substance Laboratory Harris Law

It is illegal to provide a building, structure or vehicle for drug manufacture in Michigan. In addition, according to Michigan Penal Code 333.7401c, it is also illegal to own or provide a building, structure or vehicle for the production of controlled substances as well.  A person who is convicted of operating or maintaining a controlled substance laboratory in Michigan may find themselves facing felony charges which bring with them fines of up to $100,000 and/or prison time of up to 25 years.

Michigan Penal Code

333.7401c Manufacture of controlled substance; prohibited acts; violation as felony; exceptions; imposition of consecutive terms; court order to pay response activity costs; definitions.

Sec. 7401c.

(1) A person shall not do any of the following:

(a) Own, possess, or use a vehicle, building, structure, place, or area that he or she knows or has reason to know is to be used as a location to manufacture a controlled substance in violation of section 7401 or a counterfeit substance or a controlled substance analogue in violation of section 7402.

(b) Own or possess any chemical or any laboratory equipment that he or she knows or has reason to know is to be used for the purpose of manufacturing a controlled substance in violation of section 7401 or a counterfeit substance or a controlled substance analogue in violation of section 7402.

(c) Provide any chemical or laboratory equipment to another person knowing or having reason to know that the other person intends to use that chemical or laboratory equipment for the purpose of manufacturing a controlled substance in violation of section 7401 or a counterfeit substance or a controlled substance analogue in violation of section 7402.

(2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony punishable as follows:

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) to (f), by imprisonment for not more than 10 years or a fine of not more than $100,000.00, or both.

(b) If the violation is committed in the presence of a minor, by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a fine of not more than $100,000.00, or both.

(c) If the violation involves the unlawful generation, treatment, storage, or disposal of a hazardous waste, by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a fine of not more than $100,000.00, or both.

(d) If the violation occurs within 500 feet of a residence, business establishment, school property, or church or other house of worship, by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a fine of not more than $100,000.00, or both.

(e) If the violation involves the possession, placement, or use of a firearm or any other device designed or intended to be used to injure another person, by imprisonment for not more than 25 years or a fine of not more than $100,000.00, or both.

(f) If the violation involves or is intended to involve the manufacture of a substance described in section 7214(c)(ii), by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or a fine of not more than $25,000.00, or both.

(3) This section does not apply to a violation involving only a substance described in section 7214(a)(iv) or marihuana, or both.

(4) This section does not prohibit the person from being charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other violation of law committed by that person while violating or attempting to violate this section.

(5) A term of imprisonment imposed under this section may be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed for a violation of law arising out of the same transaction.

(6) The court may, as a condition of sentence, order a person convicted of a violation punishable under subsection (2)(c) to pay response activity costs arising out of the violation.

(7) As used in this section:

(a) “Hazardous waste” means that term as defined in section 11103 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.11103.

(b) “Laboratory equipment” means any equipment, device, or container used or intended to be used in the process of manufacturing a controlled substance, counterfeit substance, or controlled substance analogue.

(c) “Manufacture” means the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, conversion, or processing of a controlled substance, directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of natural origin, or independently by means of chemical synthesis, or by a combination of extraction and chemical synthesis. Manufacture does not include any of the following:

(i) The packaging or repackaging of the substance or labeling or relabeling of its container.

(ii) The preparation or compounding of a controlled substance by any of the following:

(A) A practitioner as an incident to the practitioner’s administering or dispensing of a controlled substance in the course of his or her professional practice.

(B) A practitioner, or by the practitioner’s authorized agent under his or her supervision, for the purpose of, or as an incident to, research, teaching, or chemical analysis and not for sale.

(d) “Minor” means an individual less than 18 years of age.

(e) “Response activity costs” means that term as defined in section 20101 of the natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.20101.

(f) “School property” means that term as defined in section 7410.

(g) “Vehicle” means that term as defined in section 79 of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300, MCL 257.79.

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