<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="Subtitle 5 – Unlawful Distribution">
  <section prefix="§" num="12-501" heading="Definitions.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">In this subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Distribute.">“Distribute” means to:<para num="(1)">give away, sell, deliver, dispense, or issue;</para>
      <para num="(2)">offer to give away, sell, deliver, dispense, or issue; or</para>
      <para num="(3)">cause or hire any person to:<para num="(i)">give away, sell, deliver, dispense, or issue; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">offer to give away, sell, deliver, dispense, or issue.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Tobacco product.">“Tobacco product” has the meaning stated in State Health-General Article, § 13-1001 {“Definitions: Tobacco Product”}.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 02-322</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 14-310</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 20-340</annotation>
    <annotation type="Editor's Notes">
            State HG Art. § 13-1001(u) reads as follows
            
              (u)
              
                (1)
                “Tobacco product” means any product that is:
                
                  (i)
                  Intended for human inhalation, absorption, ingestion, smoking, heating, chewing, dissolving, or any other manner of consumption that is made of, derived from, or contains:
                  
                    1.
                    Tobacco; or
                  
                  
                    2.
                    Nicotine; or
                  
                
                
                  (ii)
                  An accessory or component used in any manner of consumption of a product described in item (i) of this paragraph.
                
              
              
                (2)
                “Tobacco product” includes:
                
                  (i)
                  Cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, and snus;
                
                
                  (ii)
                  Electronic smoking devices; and
                
                
                  (iii)
                  Filters, rolling papers, pipes, and liquids used in electronic smoking devices regardless of nicotine content.
                
              
              
                (3)
                “Tobacco product” does not include a drug, device, or combination product authorized for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
              
            
          </annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="12-502" heading="Unlawful distribution.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Persons in business.">A person engaged in the business of selling or otherwise distributing tobacco products for commercial purposes may not:<para num="(1)">distribute any tobacco product to an individual under the age of 21 years, unless the individual is acting solely as the agent of an employer engaged in the business of distributing those products or devices;</para>
      <para num="(2)">distribute any cigarette rolling paper to an individual under the age of 21 years; or</para>
      <para num="(3)">distribute to an individual under the age of 21 years any coupon redeemable for any tobacco product.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Others.">A person not described in subsection (a) of this section may not:<para num="(1)">buy for or sell to an individual under the age of 21 years any tobacco product; or</para>
      <para num="(2)">buy for or sell or deliver to an individual under the age of 21 years any cigarette rolling paper.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 02-322</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 14-310</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 20-340</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="12-503" heading="Exceptions.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Published coupon.">This subtitle does not apply to the distribution of a coupon that is:<para num="(1)">contained in a newspaper, magazine, or other type of publication in which the coupon is incidental to the primary purpose of the publication; or</para>
      <para num="(2)">sent through the mail.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Identification of age.">A person has not violated this subtitle if:<para num="(1)">the person examined a buyer’s or recipient’s driver’s license or other identification issued by an employer, governmental entity, or institution of higher education; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">the license or other identification identified the buyer or recipient as being at least 21 years old.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Active duty military.">A person has not violated this subtitle if:<para num="(1)">the person examined a buyer’s or recipient’s valid military identification; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">the identification indicated that the buyer or recipient is:<para num="(i)">an active duty member of the military; and</para>
        <para num="(ii)">at least 18 years old.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 02-322</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 20-340</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§§" num="12-504 to 12-505" reserved="true" />
  <section prefix="§" num="12-506" heading="Enforcement by citation.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">In addition to any other civil or criminal remedy or enforcement procedure, this subtitle may be enforced by issuance of:<para num="(1)">an environmental citation under City Code &lt;cite data-path="|1"&gt;Article 1&lt;/cite&gt;, Subtitle 40 {“Environmental Control Board”}; or</para>
      <para num="(2)">a civil citation under City Code &lt;cite data-path="|1"&gt;Article 1&lt;/cite&gt;, Subtitle 41 {“Civil Citations”}.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Process not exclusive.">The issuance of a citation to enforce this subtitle does not preclude pursuing any other civil or criminal remedy or enforcement action authorized by law.</para>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 02-322</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="12-507" heading="Penalties: $1,000.">
    <text>Any person who violates any provision of this subtitle is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each offense.</text>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 02-322</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
