Methamphetamine Abuse and Trafficking in Fort Collins, Colorado
Methamphetamine is a rising threat to the people of Fort Collins. In 2017, methamphetamine overdoses caused more deaths in Colorado than overdoses on heroin. Additionally, the number of people who are seeking treatment for methamphetamine abuse at addiction recovery centers in Fort Collins and Colorado has risen significantly in the past five years. The number of people who have been arrested in Fort Collins for possession of methamphetamine has also increased in the last decade.
Drug traffickers in Fort Collins fuel the devastating effects which methamphetamine inflicts on health and public safety by moving the drug into the city from Denver. Most of the supply of methamphetamine which pervades Fort Collins is manufactured in Mexico. Law enforcement has been working to protect the residents of Fort Collins from methamphetamine traffickers and their dangerous product. In 2017, the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force arrested the members of a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, many of whom operated in Larimer County.
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Fort Collins and the Opioid Epidemic
Since 1999, over 3,000 Colorado residents have lost their lives to an opioid overdose, and the number of deaths caused by opioids has been increasing every year throughout the state. In 2016, 536 people died in Colorado after suffering an overdose on at least one opioid, often either heroin or a synthetic painkiller. Opioids killed at least 500 more people in Colorado in both 2017 and in 2018. Although methamphetamine has surpassed opioids as the deadliest drug in Colorado, the opioid epidemic is still a major problem for the state and for Fort Collins. The growing prevalence of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has contributed greatly to the epidemic in Colorado, although many Coloradoans are still dying from overdoses on prescription opioids which they obtain legally as medication.
Drug traffickers in Colorado move large supplies of heroin from Denver to Fort Collins every year, and a person could purchase a dose of heroin in Fort Collins for only about $10. The number of fatal heroin overdoses is rising in Fort Collins because the drug is less expensive than opioid painkillers, even those which are sold illegally.
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Marijuana in Fort Collins
In Colorado, adults who are at least 21 years old may legally use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. As in the rest of the state, it is illegal in Fort Collins to drive under the influence of marijuana. The city government of Fort Collins has also enacted local regulations on the cannabis industry. The city government has the right to grant licenses to marijuana dispensaries. There are city ordinances which prohibit Fort Collins residents who want to grow marijuana in their homes from selling the marijuana, growing it in buildings with shared walls (such as apartments or townhouses), or possessing more than six mature cannabis plants.
Marijuana legalization in Colorado has given law enforcement greater time and resources to control more dangerous drugs, especially illegal opioids and methamphetamine. Although marijuana is legal in Fort Collins, the drug is not necessarily safe. Habitual marijuana use can have negative physical and psychological consequences and may cause someone to experiment with more intense and addictive drugs.
Finding Help in Fort Collins
Substance abuse and drug addiction are debilitating and life-threatening conditions. If you or someone you know is trying to overcome addiction in Fort Collins, contact a dedicated treatment provider today. Recovery from addiction is difficult, but anyone can achieve freedom from drug abuse with support from family, friends and medical professionals.
