Idaho fentanyl law used against users too
The gist
An InvestigateWest review found at least 30 Idaho people charged with fentanyl trafficking without evidence of selling.
Idaho is the only state counting pills, not grams, to trigger trafficking charges.
How it unfolded
- Jul 1, 2024Idaho's fentanyl trafficking law takes effect; it does not distinguish users from sellers and needs no evidence of trafficking, only possession of at least 4 grams or 100 fentanyl pills.
- recentlyTwo years in, prosecutors across Idaho had charged 134 people with fentanyl trafficking, with 31 cases still pending.
- recentlyOf 90 cases with arrest reports, one-third lacked evidence such as scales, ledgers and small bags commonly taken as proof of selling.
Key terms
- fentanyl trafficking
- The illegal cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of the prohibited drug fentanyl on the black market.
- prosecutors
- A legal official who represents the state in bringing criminal charges against an accused person in court.
- probation
- A court-ordered period of supervision of an offender as an alternative to incarceration, requiring compliance with set conditions.
Source: Wikipedia