Code of Alabama

Ala. Code § 13A-12-260 (2026)

Drug Paraphernalia; Use or Possession; Delivery or Sale; Forfeiture.

✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026

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(a) As used in this section, the term “drug paraphernalia” means all equipment, products, and materials of any kind which are used, intended for use, or designed for use, in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance in violation of the controlled substances laws of this state. It includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Kits used, intended for use, or designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, or harvesting of any species of plant which is a controlled substance or from which a controlled substance can be derived.

(2) Kits used, intended for use, or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, or preparing controlled substances.

(3) Isomerization devices used, intended for use, or designed for use in increasing the potency of any species of plant which is a controlled substance.

(4) Testing equipment used, intended for use, or designed for use in identifying, or in analyzing the strength, effectiveness, or purity of controlled substances.

(5) Scales and balances used, intended for use, or designed for use in weighing or measuring controlled substances.

(6) Dilutants and adulterants, such as quinine hydrochloride, mannitol, mannite, dextrose, and lactose, used, intended for use, or designed for use in cutting controlled substances.

(7) Separation gins and sifters used, intended for use, or designed for use in removing twigs and seeds from, or in otherwise cleaning or refining, marijuana.

(8) Blenders, bowls, containers, spoons, and mixing devices used, intended for use, or designed for use in compounding controlled substances.

(9) Capsules, balloons, envelopes, and other containers used, intended for use, or designed for use in packaging small quantities of controlled substances.

(10) Containers and other objects used, intended for use, or designed for use in storing or concealing controlled substances.

(11) Hypodermic syringes, needles, and other objects used, intended for use, or designed for use in parenterally injecting controlled substances into the human body.

(12) Objects used, intended for use, or designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinols, cocaine, hashish, or hashish oil into the human body, including, but not limited to:

a. Metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone, plastic, or ceramic pipes with or without screens, permanent screens, hashish heads, or punctured metal bowls.

b. Water pipes.

c. Carburetion tubes and devices.

d. Smoking and carburetion masks.

e. Roach clips: Meaning objects used to hold burning material, such as a marijuana cigarette, that has become too small or too short to be held in the hand.

f. Miniature cocaine spoons and cocaine vials.

g. Chamber pipes.

h. Carburetor pipes.

i. Electric pipes.

j. Air-driven pipes.

k. Chillums.

l. Bongs.

m. Ice pipes or chillers.

n. Glass tubes which are hollow, cylindrical items made of glass which are smaller than three-quarters of an inch in diameter, shorter than 12 inches in length, and which are not sealed with glass at both ends.

(b) In determining whether an object is drug paraphernalia, a court or other authority shall consider, in addition to all other logically relevant factors, all of the following:

(1) Statements by an owner or by anyone in control of the object concerning its use.

(2) Prior convictions, if any, of an owner, or of anyone in control of the object, under any state or federal law relating to any controlled substance.

(3) The proximity of the object, in time and space, to a direct violation of this section or to a controlled substance.

(4) The existence of any residue of controlled substances on the object.

(5) Direct or circumstantial evidence of the intent of an owner, or of anyone in control of the object, to deliver it to persons whom he or she knows intend to use the object to facilitate a violation of the controlled substances laws of this state; the innocence of an owner, or of anyone in control of the object, as to a direct violation of such laws shall not prevent a finding that the object is intended for use, or designed for use, as drug paraphernalia.

(6) Instructions, oral or written, provided with the object concerning its use.

(7) Descriptive materials accompanying the object which explain or depict its use.

(8) National and local advertising concerning its use.

(9) The manner in which the object is displayed for sale.

(10) Whether the owner, or anyone in control of the object, is a legitimate supplier of like or related items to the community, such as a licensed distributor or dealer of tobacco products.

(11) Direct or circumstantial evidence of the ratio of sales of the object or objects to the total sales of the business enterprise.

(12) The existence and scope of legitimate uses for the object in the community.

(13) Expert testimony concerning its use.

(c)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to use, or to possess with intent to use, or to use to inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body, drug paraphernalia to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, or conceal a controlled substance in violation of the controlled substances laws of this state.

(2) Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished as prescribed by law.

(d)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to use, deliver, or sell, possess with intent to deliver or sell, or manufacture with intent to deliver or sell, or to possess with intent to use, drug paraphernalia to manufacture a controlled substance in violation of the controlled substances laws of this state.

(2) Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class C felony. If a person is in violation of this subsection and is in possession of a firearm at the time of the offense, the person shall be guilty of a Class B felony.

(e)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to deliver or sell, possess with intent to deliver or sell, or manufacture with intent to deliver or sell drug paraphernalia, knowing that it will be used to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled substance in violation of the controlled substances laws of this state. Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished as prescribed by law. A person who is convicted of a subsequent violation of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class C felony and punished as prescribed by law. Any person convicted of violating this subsection who previously has been convicted of violating subdivision (2) of this subsection shall be subject to the same penalties specified for subsequent violations of this subsection.

(2) Any person 18 years of age or over who violates subdivision (1) of this subsection by delivering drug paraphernalia to a person under 18 years of age who is at least three years his junior shall be guilty of a Class B felony and upon conviction shall be punished as prescribed by law.

(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (e)(1), a person may possess, deliver, or sell testing equipment designed to detect the presence of fentanyl or any synthetic controlled substance fentanyl analogue, as described in Sections 20-2-23 and 20-2-25.

(g) All drug paraphernalia used in violation of this section shall be contraband and be subject to the forfeiture laws of this state and Section 20-2-93, as amended, in particular.

(Acts 1986, No. 86-425, p. 771; §20-2-75.1; Acts 1988, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 88-918, p. 512, §2; Act 2009-566, p. 1665, §1; Act 2012-237, p. 445, §2; Act 2022-154, §1.)

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 50 cases (6 in the last 5 years), 1991–2025 · leading case: State v. Mallard, 40 S.W.3d 473 (Tenn. 2001).

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State v. Mallard, 40 S.W.3d 473 (Tenn. 2001). “See Ala.Code § 13A-12-260 (1994); Ariz.Rev.Stat.”

Ankrom v. State, 152 So. 3d 397 (Ala. 2013). · cites it 2× “], a better description of which is to the Grand Jury otherwise unknown, to be exposed to, to ingest or inhale, or to have contact with a controlled substance, chemical substance, or drug paraphernalia as defined in Section 13A-12-260 of the Code of Alabama, 1975, to-wit:…”

Ankrom v. State, 152 So. 3d 373 (Ala. Crim. App. 2011). · cites it 2× “], a better description of which is to the Grand Jury otherwise unknown, to be exposed to, to ingest or inhale, or to have contact with a controlled substance, chemical substance, or drug paraphernalia as defined in Section 13A-12-260 of the Code of Alabama, 1975, to-wit:…”

Doucette v. State, 10 So. 3d 117 (Ala. Crim. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “Code 1975; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of § 13A-12-260, Ala.Code 1975. Doucette was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for his conviction of possession of a precursor substance.”

Pruitt v. State, 954 So. 2d 611 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006). “Code 1975; unlawful use or possession with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, a violation of § 13A-12-260(c), Ala.Code 1975; and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, a violation of § 13A-12-212(a)(1), Ala.”

Gaston v. State, 265 So. 3d 387 (Ala. Crim. App. 2018). “) At the time of Kevin's murder, Gaston was on probation for second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana, see § 13A-12-214, possession of drug paraphernalia, see § 13A-12-260, Ala. Code 1975, and possession of a pistol without a permit, see § 13A-11-73, Ala.”

G.E.G. v. State, 54 So. 3d 949 (Ala. 2010). “Code 1975; and possession of drug paraphernalia, see § 13A-12-260(c), Ala.Code 1975. After a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced G.”

State v. Clayton, 155 So. 3d 290 (Ala. 2014). · cites it 2× “Code 1975, and one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of§ 13A-12-260(C), Ala.Code 1975. . A Montgomery grand jury issued an indictment charging Bailey with two counts of first-degree unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, a violation of §…”

Snowden v. State, 968 So. 2d 1004 (Ala. Crim. App. 2006). “Code 1975; and two counts of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, see § 13A-12-260, Ala.Code 1975. Count I charged Snowden with trafficking in methamphetamine on June 26, 2002; count II charged him with first-degree unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance…”

State v. Taylor, 46 So. 3d 504 (Ala. Crim. App. 2010). “Code 1975, and one count of the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of § 13A-12-260(c), Ala.Code 1975. Taylor filed a motion to suppress evidence seized from the traffic stop in which the hydrocodone and drug paraphernalia were discovered by police.”

Smith v. State, 19 So. 3d 912 (Ala. Crim. App. 2009). “Code 1975, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of § 13A-12-260, Ala.Code 1975. The trial court sentenced him to serve a term of one year and a day in prison on the unlawful possession of a controlled substance conviction, but suspended the sentence and…”

Camp v. State, 983 So. 2d 1141 (Ala. Crim. App. 2007). “Code 1975, and for the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of § 13A-12-260, Ala.Code 1975. He filed a motion to suppress the evidence that resulted in his arrest, which was discovered in his vehicle, arguing that the evidence was obtained as a result of an…”

Show all 50 citing cases →

— Ala. Code § 13A-12-260(C) — 1 case

State v. Clayton, 155 So. 3d 290 (Ala. 2014). “Code 1975, and one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a violation of§ 13A-12-260(C), Ala.Code 1975. . A Montgomery grand jury issued an indictment charging Bailey with two counts of first-degree unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, a violation of §…”

— Ala. Code § 13A-12-260(a) — 1 case

State v. Haynes, 3 So. 3d 272 (Ala. Crim. App. 2008).

— Ala. Code § 13A-12-260(a)(5) — 1 case

Caver v. State, 219 So. 3d 1 (Ala. Crim. App. 2016).

— Ala. Code § 13A-12-260(c) — 13 cases

G.E.G. v. State, 54 So. 3d 949 (Ala. 2010). “Code 1975; and possession of drug paraphernalia, see § 13A-12-260(c), Ala.Code 1975. After a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced G.”

G.E.G. v. State, 54 So. 3d 941 (Ala. Crim. App. 2008).

McCart v. State, 765 So. 2d 21 (Ala. Crim. App. 2000).

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