(a) Possession of a hypodermic is authorized for the following:
(1) A manufacturer or distributor of, or dealer in, hypodermics, or medication packaged in hypodermics, and any authorized agent or employee of that manufacturer, distributor or dealer, in the regular course of business;
(2) A terminal distributor of dangerous drugs in the regular course of business;
(3) A person authorized to administer injections, in the regular course of his or her profession or employment;
(4) A person, when the hypodermic was lawfully obtained and is kept and used for the purpose of self-administration of insulin or other drug prescribed for the treatment of disease by a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs;
(5) A person whose use of a hypodermic is for legal research, clinical, educational, or medicinal purposes;
(6) A farmer, for the lawful administration of a drug to an animal;
(7) A person whose use of a hypodermic is for lawful, professional, mechanical, trade or craft purposes.
(b) No manufacturer or distributor of, or dealer in, hypodermics or medication packaged in hypodermics, or their authorized agents or employees, and no terminal distributor of dangerous drugs, shall display any hypodermic for sale. No person authorized to possess a hypodermic pursuant to subsection (a) hereof shall negligently fail to take reasonable precautions to prevent any hypodermic in his or her possession from theft or acquisition by any unauthorized person.
(ORC 3719.172)
(c) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree on a first offense. If an offender has previously been convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this section, Ohio R.C. 3719.05, 3719.06, 3719.13, 3719.31 or a drug abuse offense, a violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree. The penalty shall be as provided in Section 698.02.
(ORC 3719.99(E))