Colorado legal term
Drug in Colorado Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Colorado legislative session
In Colorado criminal law, “Drug” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Colorado criminal code.
What does “Drug” mean in Colorado criminal law?
"Drug" means: (I) Any article recognized in an official compendium of drugs; (II) An article used or intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or animals; (III) An article, other than food, that is used or intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals; or (IV) An article intended for use as a component of an article specified in subparagraph (I), (II), or (III) of this paragraph (c). (C.R.S. § 18-13-114.5)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.