COLORADO SPRINGS — Tuesday, the Colorado Springs City Council held the first vote on an amendment that would prohibit recreational marijuana shops in Colorado Springs. The group voted 8 to 1 in favor of the amendment.
It needs to pass one more time in city council and then voters in November will decide whether or not to ban recreational marijuana outright in Colorado Springs.
During the hour-long discussion, several community members spoke out in support of recreational marijuana and several spoke out against recreational marijuana.
"This amendment is about protecting our children, the most vulnerable of our community, from the significant risks associated with marijuana use that we know of. Moreover, it is also about securing the military presence in our community," said Colorado Springs President Pro Tem Lynette Crow-Iverson.
While the City Council appears to have its sights on banning recreational marijuana, a petition has been started to get the amendment on the November ballot. This is not the first time a petition movement has sought to get the issue on the ballot.
In 2022, Colorado Springs voters voted against ballot issue 300.
Colorado Springs Voters Vote Against Recreational Marijuana
The signatures on the petition are still being counted, but 25,000 signatures are needed to move forward.
You can read the whole amendment below.
Apart from that vote, a separate vote on Wednesday on cannabis is happening in the planning commission. This is more or less a backup plan should voters ever end up passing a law to allow recreational pot shops.
Should it pass, this zoning code change would force recreational marijuana shops to be one mile away from schools, rehab facilities and childcare facilities.
The city council behind this admitted the one-mile distance was arbitrary with no science behind it, but that it was a "good distance" from our children.
Cannabis is in the process of being moved from a Schedule One to a Schedule Three substance federally, meaning it's considered a less severe drug.
Justice Department Formally Moves To Reclassify Marijuana
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