Colorado Springs voters will once again decide this spring whether recreational marijuana sales should be permitted in the state’s second-largest city — less than five months after they voted in favor of such sales.
The Colorado Springs City Council on Tuesday voted 7-2 to refer a new measure to the April 1 municipal ballot. It would repeal Question 300, which authorized recreational cannabis sales in the city and was approved by nearly 55% of voters in the Nov. 5 election.
Tuesday’s vote was preceded by hours of testimony from the public denouncing the council for considering a redo of the legalization measure from November.
The council majority has claimed that voters were confused by Question 300, saying the measure was too long and wordy.
They’ve also said that voters were additionally perplexed because of a competing measure on the November ballot — put there by the council itself — that asked them to keep recreational marijuana sales illegal in Colorado Springs.
But residents who testified Tuesday criticized the City Council for not respecting the voters’ will in November.
So did council members Nancy Henjum and Yolanda Avila, both of whom voted against placing the repeal measure on the April ballot. They worry that turnout in the April election will be much lower than in the presidential election, improving the chances of a reversal.
Colorado Springs has long allowed medical marijuana sales and there are close to 90 dispensaries in the city. But recreational cannabis has never been permitted. In the 2022 election, voters said no to such sales.