COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Ever since a ballot question banning recreational marijuana began to fail as more votes are counted in El Paso County, 11 News viewers have been asking how the restrictions of question 300 will work if recreational marijuana is allowed.
Both questions were passing until Saturday, with more votes now opposing 2D, to ban recreational marijuana. On Monday morning, 11 News called 300, which passed, allowing recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs.
But it includes restrictions that were passed through a city ordinance in September. This means already-existing medical marijuana dispensaries can apply for licenses to sell recreational marijuana, but they cannot sell it within 1,000 feet of a private or public daycare, pre-school or K-12 school.
This essentially encompasses the entire city, leading to questions of whether this is just another ban on recreational sales.
11 News reached out to several dispensaries in Colorado Springs for answers.
While they did not yet want to be identified, most said they were planning on applying for a recreational license, thereby holding a duel license; however, they did not want to comment because what happens next is yet to be decided.
They said they were still discussing what to do with their staff because there is a lot of grey area in the ballot question. While a couple of locations said they weren’t sure if they even should apply yet, most said deciding to apply despite restrictions was their first concrete steps since the news of the vote shift over the weekend.
Another dispensary, who is also still planning, said they are preparing to take possible legal action against the city. Nothing has been filed yet, as question 2D has yet to be called, but should they win any case, they said they are confident they will be able to sell marijuana recreationally.
A photo shows where in the city marijuana would not be allowed to be sold.(Colorado Springs City Council)
City Council President Pro Tem Lynette Crow-Iverson, who put 2D forward, said the city will respect the results of the election, said she believes there may have been confusion among citizens that could have impacted the results.
“I also heard from many voters who were understandably confused by the presence of two conflicting measures on the ballot. … This confusion clouded the issue and may have impacted the vote,” the statement read.
So far, though, most dispensaries said they are unsure what the next steps are, but that they are excited for the possibility of selling recreational marijuana and hope to be able to do so in the near future.
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Many of you have asked what the passage of Question 300 means for the future of recreational marijuana. Most dispensaries said they’re just as confused. Read More
