Colorado Springs voters legalize recreational marijuana
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Voters in Colorado Springs approved a measure to legalize recreational marijuana sales and rejected a competing measure that would have permanently banned them, according to final unofficial results from the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office.
Why it matters: The conservative-leaning city — Colorado's second-largest — has stood firm against recreational cannabis sales for a decade, even as the rest of the state embraced legalization.
- The vote is the latest sign the city is evolving from a reserved military town anchored by megachurches to a more moderate community shaped by its growing and diversifying population.
The big picture: Colorado's cannabis industry is in a precarious place, with sales down and dispensaries closing or changing hands due to declining demand and economic struggles.
By the numbers: Ballot Question 300, allowing retail cannabis sales, passed 54.7% to 45.3% — a dramatic difference from two years ago, when 54% of voters rejected a similar proposal.
- Question 2D, which would have banned sales for good, narrowly failed 50.6% to 49.4%, despite support from Mayor Yemi Mobolade.
How it works: The new law allows the city's roughly 90 existing medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling cannabis for recreational use.
- Retail shops must maintain a 1,000-foot buffer from schools and similar facilities — a local requirement already in place for medical dispensaries.
Yes, but: Legal questions remain.
- Ahead of the election, the city council passed a zoning ordinance that severely limits where recreational marijuana dispensaries can operate, banning sales within 1 mile of schools, day care facilities, and drug and alcohol treatment centers.
- City officials haven't clarified whether the new voter-approved law supersedes the council's restrictions.
What they're saying: "Colorado Springs voters decisively authorized adult-use cannabis sales, and city leaders should respect their decision," Mason Tvert, spokesperson for cannabis industry group Colorado Leads, told Axios Denver.
- "Expanding existing cannabis businesses to allow adult sales will create … positive economic activity for the community. They also meet the demand for cannabis that is currently being met by stores in other communities or the illicit market," Tvert added.
- City of Colorado Springs spokesperson Max D'Onofrio did not immediately respond to Axios Denver's request for comment.
What's next: Election results remain unofficial until certification the week of Thanksgiving.
- Backers of Question 2D said they will not request a recount, per the Gazette.
What we're watching: Proponents say opening the door to recreational pot could provide a lifeline to the struggling cannabis industry and generate significant tax revenue for the community.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Mason Tvert is a spokesperson for Colorado Leads (not Strategies 64).