COLORADO SPRINGS — The group campaigning against recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs has outspent its opposition 11-to-1, according to the city’s latest campaign finance reports.
Question 300 would allow recreational cannabis to be sold in Colorado Springs at businesses with an existing medical marijuana license. 2D would outright ban recreational marijuana in an attempt to prevent future citizen-led initiatives from occurring.
The Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhood Coalition, which is running the campaign against 300 and in support of 2D, reported spending nearly $1.1 million in its Nov. 1 finance report, which included contributions and expenditures through Oct. 27.
Overall, the coalition reported raising over $1.2 million this cycle to encourage voters to strike down recreational cannabis.
Many of the donors include developers, construction companies, builders, and real estate-related groups and individuals.
The focus from those industries could be due to the fact many contractors have a zero-tolerance policy for marijuana, even if construction workers use it off-duty despite Colorado’s legalization.
In a 2015 ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled an employer’s zero-tolerance policies for marijuana use overruled the state’s cannabis laws.
But to Daniel Cole, who’s in charge of the opposition campaign to Question 300, he said it’s likely more a sense of duty rather than a job rationale.
“Our donors are contributing out of a sense of social responsibility,” Cole said. “This is a group that regularly invests in efforts, both civic and political, to keep Colorado Springs safe, healthy and prosperous.”
But Colorado Dawn, which is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, contributed the bulk of the money for the Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhoods Coalition. Colorado Dawn is registered for the same address as Cole’s other business ventures, including the Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhoods Coalition.
According to the latest campaign finance filings, Colorado Dawn contributed $835,000 this cycle to the anti-pot campaign. However, that money is not broken down into specific donors.
Cole said it comes from a variety of sources and that Colorado Dawn spends on a wide range of projects every year.
Since it’s unclear who the nonprofit’s funders are, Colorado Dawn is considered a dark-money group.
According to the ProPublica nonprofit explorer, Colorado Dawn reported nearly $6 million in revenue in 2022, a 14-fold increase from its 2021 revenue. 2023 data was not available on the site.
Meghan Graf, spokesperson for the Citizens for Responsible Marijuana Regulation, which supports Question 300, criticized her opposition for being funded by dark-money.
“A few big dollar developers and their favorite local politicians are trying to permanently ban consenting adults and veterans from this industry,” said Graf. “Initiative 300 provides a responsible plan with no new stores, safeguards for children, and funding for public safety, mental health and veterans PTSD programs. Springs voters have a choice on Tuesday, and we feel confident voters will look past the dark money spending and do their own research."
Citizens for Responsible Marijuana Regulation reported spending about $158,000 through Oct. 27 and contributions totaling about $194,000 overall through the campaign.
Email senior reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTVon X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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