How Bad is Colorado’s Cocaine Problem?

For over a decade, Colorado has been highly associated with marijuana as not only did the state pave the way for many others in legalizing the plant for medicinal purposes, but recreational marijuana became legal shortly thereafter.

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While marijuana overdoses don't really exist, another, more dangerous, and illegal drug is not only widely available in Colorado, but it has been reported that the Centennial State leads the nation in cases of the drug being abused.

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So, just how bad is Colorado's cocaine problem?

Colorado Leads the Nation in Cocaine Abuse

While mind-altering drugs like marijuana and certain psychedelics are more or less legal in the state of Colorado for adult use, the argument can be made that in some cases, these chemicals help rather than hurt. Neither drug is considered physically habit-forming and overdosing on THC or psilocybin doesn't really exist.

However, a drug that is known to be highly addictive and deadly in large amounts, cocaine, is much more prevalent in the state than most realize.

For example, in 2021 and 2022, research showed that Colorado topped the list for cocaine abuse in the nation, followed by Vermont and Washington D.C., respectively.

While no statistics were gathered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research showed Colorado at the top of the list back in 2018 and 2019 with Washington D.C. coming in second and Vermont in third place as far as cocaine abuse goes.

Cocaine abuse can lead to fatal overdoses, but recent years have seen the drug become much more dangerous due to the presence of fentanyl which is typically mixed in without the buyer's knowledge.

Check out the full story from The Denver Post here.