Will Colorado Pass a Law That Requires ID To Buy Baking Soda?

Depending on what you're buying at the store in Colorado, you may or may not have your ID ready. Most of us know we will need our state ID to purchase alcohol or tobacco, but did you ever expect that you would need it to buy baking soda?

Read More: Time Is Running Out for Your Regular Colorado Driver’s License

Several laws changed at the beginning of the year in the Centennial State, including laws that add to Equal Work and Equal Pay, medical exam rules, and even Colorado agriculture laws. So why are so many states talking about needing an ID to purchase what seems like a simple household item like baking soda?

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Baking Soda - What's the Big Deal?

Will Colorado require an ID to purchase baking soda? There is absolutely no law in Colorado that requires this...YET. Several states have been talking about this since the fall of 2023 as baking soda is a main ingredient in certain street drugs. Another reason stores in several states are considering an ID requirement for baking soda is that, thanks to the internet, certain "challenges" put young people at risk by using baking soda in ways that are considered unhealthy. These factors have caused some states to consider asking anyone buying this product to produce an ID.

Baking Soda and Crack Cocaine

The website HealthyKids.org explains to parents that crack cocaine is made by cooking cocaine with baking soda to make crack cocaine. This is then broken into small pieces called rocks. These rocks are then smoked. The drug gets its name because the pieces 'crackle' when heated and smoked.

Asking customers to show an ID is seen as a safeguard that might prevent minors or others who seek to use baking soda for purposes other than baking, cleaning, or deodorizing.