The opioid crisis in the United States has gotten a lot of attention in recent months. President Trump declared the crisis a national emergency in late 2017. Many people find themselves addicted to prescription painkillers that a doctor prescribed for a legitimate injury or medical issue.

When a patient becomes addicted to a prescription painkiller, he or she often faces  challenges in supplying the addiction. Resources to help patients who are addicted to prescription painkillers are not always readily available. There are circumstances in which possessing prescription painkillers becomes a crime in Colorado. Read on to learn more about this growing phenomenon.

Prescription painkillers and Colorado's black market

The Denver Post reported that Colorado is finally seeing a decline in its epidemic after years of increase, with a peak in 2010. However, the black market in the state is alive and well, as evidenced by a particular site the article highlighted, which documents the actual street value of prescription painkillers on Colorado's black market for drugs. Without question, purchasing prescription painkillers on the street is illegal.

What happens if a person gets caught

If law enforcement arrests a person for buying prescription painkillers on the black market or for illegal possession of prescription painkillers, he or she faces one or more drug charges and runs the risk of conviction and possible prison time. Many people who find themselves addicted to prescription painkillers would never have imagined themselves involved in the criminal justice system, and yet their addiction has led them to take extraordinary measures in order to obtain their drug of choice.

A person who faces prescription drug charges should find a trustworthy and aggressive criminal defense attorney. This advocate can craft a strategy to defend the accused as he or she goes through the difficult criminal justice process.