He stated, 'in substance' [='in essence', 'essentially'], that it is not his fault and he will not pay for damages.
These rumors have no 'substance'. = These rumors are 'without substance'. [=these rumors are not true]
Codeine is a 'controlled substance'. [=a drug that you need permission from a doctor to use]
(..) a body floating near the boat, so here we are. All clear! What do you got? Chemical traces of two toxic substances. Put 'em together, you got something a lot worse. say, a closed environment, like a bus or a building-- you could kill a lot of people. (..)2011 TvShow: Dexter Title: Talk to the Hand Season: 6 Episode 11