Colorado Marijuana Laws
Colorado legalized the sale and use of recreational (retail) marijuana in 2012. Medical marijuana is also legal in the state, but you must have a medical marijuana registry identification card.
To purchase, possess, or consume retail marijuana, you must be at least 21 years old. If you are at least 21, you can buy up to 1 ounce of retail marijuana from a licensed distributor. Adults may possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana at a time.
You can legally consume marijuana in Colorado at the following designated places:
- Private property (e.g., your home). If you rent, check with your landlord; property owners may ban the use and possession of marijuana on their property.
- Lodging (e.g., a hotel). Lodging providers may determine whether to allow marijuana on their properties.
2023 Colorado Psychedelic Mushroom Law
As of Jan. 2023, adults over the age of 21 will no longer face criminal penalties for possession of the “natural medicine” found in psychedelic mushrooms. Colorado Proposition 122 (Natural Medicine Health Act) decriminalizes the possession and personal use of psychedelic substances, including:
- Psilocybin
- Psilocin
- Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
- Ibogaine
Prop 122 also allows private residents to legally grow psilocybin mushrooms and certain entheogenic plants and fungi, so long as the plants are kept away from minors. Additionally, it is now legal in Colorado to transport, process, and give away psychedelic substances for “personal use,” so long as no payment is exchanged.
Controlled Substance Schedules
Schedule 1 drugs are purported to have no medicinal value and a high potential for abuse, while Schedule 2 through 5 substances all have some medical value, but differ in ranking depending on their potential for abuse (from high to low).
Examples of drugs on each schedule include:
- Schedule 1: marijuana, heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and magic mushrooms
- Schedule 2: cocaine, meth, oxycodone, Adderall, Ritalin, and Vicodin
- Schedule 3: Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone
- Schedule 4: Xanax, Soma, Darvocet, Valium, and Ambien
- Schedule 5: Robitussin AC, Lomotil, Motofen, Lyrica, and Parepectolin
In most states, schedule 1 and 2 drugs have the most regulatory restrictions on research, supply, and access, and Schedule 5 drugs have the least.
What Drugs are Illegal in Colorado?
Schedule I, II, III, IV, and V drugs remain illegal in Colorado. However, patients may access some with a doctor’s prescription. Examples of illegal drugs include:
- Cocaine
- Ecstasy / MDMA
- GHB
- Heroin
- Ketamine
- LSD
- Methamphetamine
- PCP (Angel Dust)
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