Reader: Big Pharma's to Blame for Influx of Heroin in Colorado and Here's Why

Interesting responses continue to come in to our coverage of recent marijuana-grow busts on federal land, in which 32 people, most of them foreign nationals, have been taken into custody. One reader argued that Mexican cartels have turned to heroin in Colorado because they pot profits are drying up. Plenty of...

By Michael Roberts

October 13, 2015

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Interesting responses continue to come in to our coverage of recent marijuana-grow busts on federal land, in which 32 people, most of them foreign nationals, have been taken into custody.

One reader argued that Mexican cartels have turned to heroin in Colorado because they pot profits are drying up.

Plenty of other commenters agreed that heroin is becoming more prevalent here. But there's disagreement on the root cause.

Here's a particularly provocative theory.

Jackie White writes:

The pharmaceutical companies have been pushing opiate based pain killers that are highly addictive, when doctors eventually cut them off they turn to heroin. I thought that was common knowledge at this point. But yeah, blame legal weed and the Mexicans. Wow.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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