Narcotic Act

A federal statute which renders it unlawful for any person to purchase, sell, dispense, or distribute narcotics except in or from the original stamped package; or to sell, barter, give away, or otherwise transfer narcotics, except upon the written order on a prescribed form issued for a purpose; or for any unregistered person to have narcotic drugs in his possession or under his control, or to send, ship, carry, or deliver narcotics between the states or insular possessions or from or into the District of Columbia. 26 USC § 4724(b). A statute, known in its original form as the Harrison Narcotic Act, the manifest purpose of which is to require every person dealing in drugs to ascertain at his peril whether or not a product he sells comes within the inhibition of the statute, and to penalize any dealer who sells prohibited drugs, even though he may be ignorant of their character as such. 25 Am J2d Drugs §§ 34, 35.