COLORADO SPRINGS — Less than three months after voters approved sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs, the city council is poised to place a vote to repeal the measure on the April municipal ballot.
Springs voters approved Ballot Measure 300 in November, which allowed existing medical marijuana dispensaries to apply for a retail license, with 55% of the vote. It’s the first time the City of Colorado Springs has allowed recreational marijuana sales since state legalization in 2014.
A conflicting measure on the same November ballot, 2D, which would have permanently banned recreational marijuana sales in the city and made future legalization efforts difficult, failed with 49% of the vote.
Many city leaders were opposed to 300 and a large-scale opposition campaign against the measure spent over a million dollars, according to campaign finance filings.
But now, city council members intend not to accept the results of the November election, with some claiming voters could have been confused by the two conflicting ballot measures.
“I am so opposed to the presupposition that we will overturn, put a ballot initiative on to repeal a vote of the people in November,” said Councilwoman Nancy Henjum during the Jan. 14 council meeting.
“It is a very low turnout in April. I believe that there is even thinking that the type of people who come out and vote in April will be likely to vote against this," Henjum said.
Nearly 240,000 voters weighed in on Issue 300 on the November general ballot. In the last Colorado Springs municipal election without the mayor’s race on the ballot, in 2021, only 83,000 ballots were cast.
Regardless, the council voted to push forward the potential April ballot repeal with a 6-3 vote during their Jan. 14 meeting. Councilmembers Yolanda Avila, Nancy Henjum, and Mike O’Malley were the no votes.
The Jan. 28 city council meeting is the deadline to add new measures to the April 1 municipal ballot. According to sources with knowledge of the city council’s thinking, they have enough votes to move the repeal effort forward.
Citizens are welcome to still speak at next Tuesday’s meeting during public comment who are in support or opposed to the repeal effort.
Ballots for the April 1 election are expected to be mailed out to voters on March 7.
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