§ 20-56-205 - Penalties -- Exceptions.
20-56-205. Penalties -- Exceptions.
(a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and for such offense shall, upon conviction, be fined an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or shall be sentenced to not more than one (1) year's imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. For each subsequent offense and conviction thereof, the person shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or sentenced to one (1) year's imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.
(b) No person shall be subject to the penalties of subsection (a) of this section for having violated 20-56-215(1) or (3) if he or she establishes a guaranty or undertaking, signed by and containing the name and address of the person residing in the State of Arkansas from whom he or she received in good faith the article, to the effect that the article is not adulterated or misbranded within the meaning of this subchapter and designating this subchapter.
(c) No publisher, radio broadcast licensee, or agency or medium for the dissemination of an advertisement, but not including the manufacturer, packer, distributor, or seller of the article to which a false advertisement relates, shall be liable under this section by reason of the dissemination by him, her, or it of the false advertisement unless he, she, or it has refused, on the request of the State Board of Health, to furnish the board the name and post office address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor, seller, or advertising agency residing in the State of Arkansas who caused him, her, or it to disseminate the advertisement.
(d) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, any person who distributes or possesses with intent to distribute any human growth hormone or counterfeit substance purporting to be a human growth hormone for any use in humans other than the treatment of disease pursuant to the order of a physician shall be deemed guilty of a Class D felony.
(2) Any person who distributes or possesses with the intent to distribute to an individual under eighteen (18) years of age, any human growth hormone or counterfeit substance purporting to be a human growth hormone for any use in humans other than the treatment of disease pursuant to the order of a physician shall be deemed guilty of a Class C felony.
(3) Possession by any person of more than two hundred (200) capsules or tablets or more than sixteen cubic centimeters (16cc.) of human growth hormones or counterfeit substance purporting to be a human growth hormone shall create a rebuttable presumption that the person possesses such substances with the intent to deliver in violation of this subsection. Provided, however, this presumption may be overcome by the submission of evidence sufficient to create a reasonable doubt that the person charged possessed the substance with intent to deliver.