Colorado Springs City Council sends Recreational Marijuana sale ban to the voters
Colorado Springs residents could see competing recreational marijuana ballot questions in November.
The Colorado Springs City Council voted 8 to 1 to send a question to the ballot that would ban recreational marijuana stores in the city's charter. A charter amendment would trump a city ordinance.
The vote followed extensive public testimony that touched on the potential harms of marijuana, the benefits of expanding sales in town and letting voters decide how to regulate marijuana.
At the same time, a citizen's group has submitted signatures to put a question on the ballot to allow recreational marijuana stores in town. The citizen's proposal would only allow the existing medical marijuana shops to transition to selling marijuana recreationally. The revenues would support public safety, mental health services and the post-traumatic stress disorder treatment programs for veterans.
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City Clerk Sarah Johnson said the city verifying signatures on Tuesday so she couldn't say if the citizen's question would make the ballot. The citizen's group was about 8,800 signatures short, she said.
Two years ago, city residents turned down a question to legalize recreation marijuana sales in town with 57% voting against it.
During the same election, residents in Palmer Lake and Cripple Creek voted to legalize recreational marijuana sales in those municipalities. Recreational marijuana is also sold in Manitou Springs, Denver, Pueblo and other cities across the state.
Councilwoman Yolanda Avila was the only one to vote against the charter amendment, noting that the problems around addiction are already present.
"People who are addicted are going to get it," she said.
