Co. Springs City councilmember to propose ballot measure to ban recreational marijuana sales

*In order to be fair and balanced, this article was updated on July 19, 2024, to include a delayed statement that was sent to KRDO13 on behalf of a group pushing for an opposing ballot measure, to allow recreational marijuana sales in the City of Colorado Springs.*

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - One Colorado Springs City Council-member is set to present two proposals on Monday, looking to address the future of recreational marijuana within city limits.

Lynette Crow-Iverson, the President Pro-Tem of City Council, tells KRDO13 she is looking to get a ballot measure approved by the council to give voters the option to change the city charter and officially ban the establishment of any recreational marijuana shops in the city limits.

"Just studying what it's done to workforce, what it's done to schools. You know what recreational marijuana, [the] legalization of marijuana has done to Denver. It's just been a real concern for me for many, many years." explained Crow-Iverson on what motivated her to draft these proposals.

The move comes after previous attempts by supporters of recreational pot to offer ballot measures to change the city charter, such as in 2022, when that vote was shot down by city residents by a vote of 54% to 45%. But Crow-Iverson says that those efforts are in the works yet again for the November ballot this year.

KRDO13 has learned that just over 16,000 signatures have been accepted by the Colorado Springs City Clerk for a pro-recreational pot measure. However that group still needs just over 8,800 more signatures within the next three weeks before the August 9th deadline.

It's the same deadline that Crow-Iverson would need to get approval from city council through multiple steps, in order to have her proposed ballot measure become a reality.

"Even though they haven't cured their signatures, they may or may not, we just wanted to get this ball rolling," said Crow-Iverson.

In the event that her opponents get a measure of their own, Crow-Iverson is also asking proactively for a new city ordinance .

The ordinance would make it so that any recreational pot shops that are established in the city in the future, must be at minimum one mile away, via pedestrian access, from any school, daycare or any addiction rehabilitation facility.

"Colorado Springs has an opportunity to take a proactive stance in protecting its youth and vulnerable populations by enhancing this regulation," said Crow-Iverson.

She explained the two proposals are to shield children and teens from being exposed to recreational marijuana and its influences.

"You know, research indicates that children, kids do things based on perception and availability. When parents legalize marijuana, there's the perception that it's safe. And then when you have stores all around, you have availability. And those are the things that drive children's behaviors," claimed Crow-Iverson.

The President Pro-Tem also claims that the introduction of marijuana shops would put the city's five military installations at risk of relocation or removal, due to the conflict of many contracted Department of Defense jobs and military bases following federal laws, which deem marijuana as illegal.

She says in a world where recreational pot is legal, those federal employers and/or military bases would have to do mandatory drug tests.

Crow-Iverson says that she is pretty confident the council will pass both of the proposals on Monday to move forward in the process, with five, and possibly seven votes.

KRDO13 reached out to two separate parties who were both supportive of the recreational pot movement this November, however, they were either unable to, or declined to, provide comment for our story.

KRDO13 did receive this statement the following day, July 19, from a spokesperson behind the effort to allow the sale and regulation of retail marijuana in Colorado Springs:

"Our ballot measure is smart and tough - it would allow retail marijuana to be sold only in existing medical marijuana stores, no new licenses to expand the number of stores are ever allowed, and tough protections that keep marijuana away from kids and schools are permanently codified into city.  We think voters will reject an attempt to ban marijuana and vote for our measure that imposes tough and smart regulation instead."

Spokesperson Megan Graf

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