According to the 2013-2014 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Colorado was the only state that ranked in the top 10 for heavy consumption of all of the following: marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and opioid painkillers.1
In the 2014-2015 SAMHSA survey, the number of Colorado residents age 12 and older who reported using certain substances in the past year was above—and in some cases well above— the national average: 2–4
- 09% used marijuana (vs. 13.35% nationally)
- 75% used cocaine (vs. 1.75% nationally)
- 38% used heroin (vs. 0.33% nationally)
- 22% used alcohol (vs. 52.2% nationally)
From 2000 to 2015, there were 10,552 drug overdose deaths in Colorado.6 In almost every year the rate of overdose death rose and was much higher than the national rate. In 2000, there were 351 overdose deaths, and the age-adjusted rate was 7.8 deaths per 100,000 population. In 2015, there were 880 deaths, and the rate increased to 15.7. Opioid-related overdose deaths made up a large portion of deaths and went up significantly in the 15-year period.6
Recreational marijuana was legalized for sale on Jan. 1, 2014. According to a report from the Colorado Department of Public Health, an estimated 31% of young adults used marijuana at least once in the last 30 days in 2014 compared to 21% in 2006. About 12.6% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 reported using marijuana within the last 30 days in 2014 compared to 10.2% in 2009.6 Despite its state-wide legal status, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, and researchers have found evidence that problem use can develop into physical dependence.7