HSC § 11156

(a) Except as provided in Section 2241 of the Business and Professions Code, no person shall prescribe for, or administer, or dispense a controlled substance to, a person with substance use disorder, or to any person representing themselves as such, except as permitted by this division.

(b) (1) For purposes of this section, “person with substance use disorder” means a person whose actions are characterized by craving in combination with one or more of the following:

(A) Impaired control over drug use.

(B) Compulsive use.

(C) Continued use despite harm.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a person whose drug-seeking behavior is primarily due to the inadequate control of pain is not a person with substance use disorder within the meaning of this section.