›› Colorado: Drug Climate

The marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution in Colorado is controlled mainly by Mexican trafficking organizations. Club drugs are primarily distributed by independent traffickers with various supply sources, both overseas and within the United States. Street gangs connected to criminal organizations in California, Texas, and Mexico facilitate all types of drug distribution throughout the state.

Did you know . . .
- The number of Coloradans using meth has more than doubled from 2000 to 2005.
- The 2007 New Year's holiday, the number of DUI arrests in Colorado hit a new high.
- 80 percent of inmates in the Colorado prison system have substance-abuse problems.

• Cocaine
  Officials report a steady flow of cocaine coming into Colorado. Large amounts of cocaine are brought in from Mexico by trafficking organizations. Street level amounts of crack is also common in the larger metropolitan areas of Colorado.
• Heroin
  Mexican black tar heroin and, to a lesser degree, Mexican brown heroin are available in the major metropolitan areas of Colorado. Heroin availability and use appears to be increasing in Colorado.
• Meth
  In Colorado, methamphetamine generally comes from Mexico and large-scale laboratories in California. The potency of Mexican meth has recently risen to levels on par with that made in smaller, local clandestine labs. Clandestine labs create public safety and environmental problems out of proportion to the volume of meth produced. Clandestine lab operators can get chemical precursors from legitimate businesses such as drug stores, discount stores, chemical suppliers, and agricultural supply warehouses.
• Club Drugs
  DEA investigations show that club drug trafficking and abuse often involves prostitution, pornography, and violence. MDMA is usually distributed by independent traffickers with both foreign and domestic suppliers. LSD, GHB, and Ketamine are also commonly found in the nightclub scene.
• Marijuana
  Marijuana is common throughout Colorado, and is the most widely abused drug in the state. The largest supply of marijuana is from Mexico and is brought in by drug trafficking organizations. “BC Bud”, a significantly more expensive and very potent variety, is smuggled in from British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest. Colorado’s Amendment 20, in effect since June 1, 2001, permits use and possession of small amounts of marijuana for sick and dying patients. It provides protection from prosecution under state law, where the majority of marijuana small-use and possession cases occur.

 

Former Colorado Governor Bill Owens said, "It is not by accident that youth drug use has fallen by nearly 20 percent over the past five years. Without effective programs to deter drug dealers and discourage drug users, we would be hopeless in our battle against drug abuse. That is why the President's 2006 National Drug Control Strategy is so important." He continued, "In Colorado, we have taken many of the same measures that are included in the 2006 National Strategy. Since taking action in 2002 to crack down on methamphetamine, we have seen a decrease in meth labs in the state."¹

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