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Elected officials from across the Colorado Springs region are lending their voices to a campaign opposing recreational marijuana sales in the city.
On Sunday, an unknown number of El Paso County voters received a mass text message from Colorado Springs School District 11 Board President Parth Melpakam calling for their vote on a pair of recreational marijuana measures.
The message was accompanied by a video featuring Melpakam, Academy District 20 Board President Aaron Salt and School District 49 Board President Lori Thompson. In both messages, the board leaders urged recipients to vote “yes” on ballot question 2D and “no” on ballot question 300.
Gazette news partner KOAA first reported on the story.
2D would specifically amend the Colorado Springs charter to prohibit retail marijuana establishments within city limits. Ballot question 300 would authorize existing medical marijuana licensees to apply and become retail/recreational marijuana businesses.
“Pot today isn’t what it used to be,” Melpakam said in his message. “With their extremely high THC content, these new strains are lab-designed and dangerous, especially for young people … Please help us keep our children safe and healthy.”
The move by the three district leaders marks the first time they have publicly advocated for a ballot measure as elected officials. A similar ballot measure was presented to voters in 2022 regarding the establishment of recreational marijuana shops that ultimately failed.
Melpakam, who was first elected to the school board in 2019, said that he opposed that measure privately and did not advocate publicly.
“This time around, Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhoods Coalition approached me and the other two neighboring school board presidents to see if we were interested in taking a public stance,” he said in an email to the Gazette. “As I am concerned about the detrimental effects of drugs on developing brains, I agreed to record the video.”
The phone number that the message originated from has also been used to send other local political messages. On Oct. 2, a local Harrison D-2 student sent out a similar mass text advocating for 4A, a mill levy override that would increase D-2 teacher salaries, fund student scholarships and invest in its charter schools.
On Oct. 8, a similar mass text was sent out campaigning for 2D and against 300 by El Paso County Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez Jr. In his message, he says recreational pot would increase crime and homelessness, hurt Colorado Springs’ relationship with the military and strain first responders.
His message was also followed by a video.
“Community leaders are coming together on this issue because we know how damaging recreational pot stores will be to our quality of life,” the text read.
Attempts to call the number were met with a message that it’s been disconnected.
The Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhood Coalition has a Facebook page and a YouTube channel, but neither contains contact information. The group registered its social media channels and registered with the city as an advocacy group in 2022, funded by the Political Action Committee Colorado Dawn, which has also been active in city council election politics through its funding of the Springs Opportunity Fund.
The coalition’s YouTube channel still features videos from 2022 by current 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, and then-Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers advocating against the 2022 recreational pot measure.
Some community members who received the Sunday text message expressed concerns over sending unsolicited political views to a wide audience.
“I and everyone else I have spoken with did not ask for your opinion and never signed up for your text blast,” Colorado Springs Parent John West wrote in an email to Melpakam. “Where did you get all these phone numbers from? Have you done any research on this topic at all? Do you think it’s OK to mass-text people your political opinions blindly?”
While Melpakam insisted that he acted as a concerned private citizen, D-49 will vote on separate resolutions Thursday supporting 2D and opposing 300 during their monthly board meeting.
Melpakam said that while the board did discuss the matter at a work session earlier this year, they ultimately agreed that they would not take collective stances on political issues and rather do so only on their individual behalf.
“My role as a School Board Director is to improve academic outcomes and ensure our students are prepared for success after graduation,” Melpakam said. “As a private citizen, I worry that increased access to recreational drugs is counterproductive to the stated educational objectives for our students.”
Glenn Wallace contributed to this report.
“}]] On Sunday, an unknown number of El Paso County voters received a mass text message from Colorado Springs School District 11 Board President Parth Melpakam calling for their vote on a pair of recreational marijuana measures. The message was accompanied by a video featuring Melpakam, Academy District 20 Board President Aaron Salt and School District 49 Board President Lori Thompson. In both messages, the board leaders urged recipients to vote “yes” on ballot question 2D and “no” on ballot question 300. Read More