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Colorado’s top federal prosecutor is sounding the alarm over a new state law that potentially makes possessing thousands of fatal doses of synthetic opioids a misdemeanor, saying it sends the wrong message as law enforcement and health officials are warning the public about the substances’ danger.
State lawmakers earlier this year passed a bill that made possession of 4 grams or less of most drugs a misdemeanor instead of a felony starting next year. The goal was to reduce incarceration for those caught with narcotics such as cocaine or heroin.
But U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn says when it comes to the potent opioids, that amount is the equivalent of more than 13,000 fatal doses of fentanyl and more than 200,000 fatal doses of carfentanil.
Fentanyl, which is fatal to humans at about 2 or 3 milligrams, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Carfentanil is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
Read the full story at The Colorado Sun.
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