Legislative declaration

(1) The general assembly finds, determines, and declares that: (a) The regulation of controlled substances in this state is important and necessary for the preservation of public safety and public health; (b) Meeting the public safety and public health needs of our communities demands a collaborative effort involving primary health-care, behavioral health, criminal justice, and social service systems; (c) Successful, community-based substance abuse treatment and education programs and substance use disorder treatment programs, in conjunction with treatment for behavioral or mental health disorders as necessary, provide effective tools in the effort to reduce drug usage and enhance public safety by reducing the likelihood that drug users will have further contact with the criminal justice system. Therapeutic intervention and ongoing individualized treatment plans prepared through the use of meaningful and proven assessment tools and evaluations offer an effective alternative to incarceration in appropriate circumstances and should be utilized accordingly. (d) Savings recognized from reductions in incarceration rates should be dedicated toward funding community-based treatment options and other mechanisms that are accessible to all of the state's counties for the implementation and continuation of such programs; (e) The Colorado commission on criminal and juvenile justice submitted a report to the general assembly on December 15, 2012, after significant study of effective approaches to reduced drug abuse and use of criminal justice sanctions that recommends multiple changes to the criminal law relating to controlled substances.