DENVER (KDVR) — A bill to make possession of a certain amount of fentanyl a felony in Colorado is being signed into law by Governor Jared Polis Wednesday.

The bill makes possession of 1 gram or more of any drug that contains fentanyl a felony, whether or not the person knew the deadly opioid was in there. The bill was passed during the final hours of the legislative session.

A main point of contention on House Bill 1326 was the word “knowingly.” Fentanyl has been found in recreational drugs, like cocaine or counterfeit pills disguised to look like oxycodone. It’s caused the overdose deaths of users who did not know they were consuming the deadly opioid.

Those in favor of the “knowingly” language argued the word protected unwitting drug users from harsher penalties. Law enforcement argued it gutted their ability to prosecute distributors.

The Senate struck the word from the bill. Back in the House, representatives disagreed. So members of both chambers met in committee Wednesday evening to reach a compromise.

Ultimately, the committee voted 6-0 to keep “knowingly” out of the bill, citing strong advocacy from law enforcement.

You can watch the bill signing live at 2:30 p.m. on FOX31 NOW in the player above.