P.R. Laws tit. 24, § 2503
(a) The Secretary of Health is hereby authorized, in coordination with the Secretary of the Family and with other agencies or organizations, to develop educational and research programs directly related with the compliance of the provisions of this chapter. Such programs may include:
(1) Educational programs and the training of personnel in connection with the compliance of the chapter in relation with the abusive use of controlled substances;
(2) studies or special projects designed to evaluate the results obtained with the different methods used to combat the abusive use of controlled drugs;
(3) studies or special projects designed to assess and detect accurately the presence in the human body of drugs or other controlled substances, including the development of rapid field identification methods which would enable agents to detect microquantities of such substances;
(4) studies or special projects designed to evaluate the nature and sources of the supply of controlled substances in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(5) studies or special projects to develop more effective methods to prevent diversion of controlled substances into illegal channels, and
(6) studies or special projects to gather information necessary to carry out his functions under § 2201 of this title.
(b) The Secretary of Health may enter into agreements and contracts in order to develop educational and research programs without being subject to § 551 of Title 3, or to any other provision to the contrary.
(c) The Secretary of Health may authorize persons engaged in studies or research to withhold the names and other identifying characteristics of persons who are the subject of such studies or research. Persons who obtain this authorization may not be compelled in any civil, criminal, administrative, legislative investigation or proceeding to identify the subjects of research for which such authorization was obtained.
(d) The Secretary of Health may authorize the possession, distribution and dispensing of controlled substances by persons engaged in scientific research. Persons who obtain this authorization shall be exempt from prosecution for possession, distribution and dispensing of controlled substances to the extent authorized by the Secretary of Health.
History —June 23, 1971, No. 4, p. 526, § 503, eff. 180 days after June 23, 1971.