Dueling ballot initiatives on marijuana

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Dueling initiatives related to the sale of recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs are in the process of being added to the upcoming November ballot.

“I’d like to refer this to the ballot so that we don’t have to keep going every two to three or four years,” said Lynette Crow-Iverson, Colorado Springs City Council President Pro Tem. “They’ve already spoken, they’ve already rejected marijuana in the city of Colorado Springs.”

In 2022, a similar measure failed with 54% of community members voting no. Two years later, organizers hope voters’ minds have changed.

FOX21 News reached out to the group behind the effort to allow the sale and regulation of retail marijuana in the city.

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.

Meghan Graf, spokesperson behind the effort to allow the sale and regulation of retail marijuana in Colorado Springs

On the other side of the debate, Colorado Springs City Council is proposing an ordinance to ban recreational cannabis. It would change the city charter to prohibit the operation of recreational cannabis establishments, essentially ruling out any future ballot initiatives.

“Two years ago, it failed,” Crow-Iverson said. “I think the people have already spoken and I think we need to let them speak again.”

Not all City Council members are behind the change in the city charter.

“I think there was a charter amendment about convention centers that there’s still a lot of heartburn over in our city and potential impacts, I’m not sure I would personally support it,” said Nancy Henjum, Colorado Springs City Council District 5.

The measure to ban recreational marijuana sales passed out of Monday’s July 22 work session and now must be approved twice by the City Council during separate August meetings before getting on the ballot. The community-led initiative still needs 8,000 signatures.

The City Council will vote on this ordinance on August 13 and August 27. If the ordinance passes, voters will consider the charter amendment prohibiting retail marijuana establishments on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The Charter change reads as follows:

15-130. Prohibition on Retail Marijuana Establishments. (a) “Retail marijuana establishment” has the same meaning as “marijuana establishment” as defined in Section 16(2)(i) of Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution, and means a retail marijuana cultivation facility, a retail marijuana testing facility, a retail marijuana product manufacturing facility, or a retail marijuana store. (b) In accord with Section 16(5)(f) of Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution, the City hereby prohibits the operation of retail marijuana establishments within its boundaries. (c) Nothing in this section shall limit Section 16(3) of Article XVIII or the Colorado Constitution as it relates to the personal use of marijuana. (d) This section shall not apply to medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana testing facilities, medical marijuana product manufacturing facilities, or medical marijuana stores operating in accord with law.

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