By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics
The fentanyl epidemic, which produced intense fights two years ago over how to confront the soaring deaths from the synthetic opioid, has returned to the Colorado state Capitol this year.
In the past several weeks, lawmakers have already turned down one bill that would make possession of small amounts of fentanyl a felony. And efforts are afoot to put the subject on the ballot.
Used legitimately as a medical anesthetic, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has become a dominant player in the illicit market and is increasingly being mixed into other substances. It’s cheaper and produces a more potent, more fleeting “high,” according to experts. But its potency in small quantities makes it unlike any other substance that preceded it.