Springs voters won’t decide on marijuana this November

Colorado Springs voters won’t see a question about marijuana on this November’s ballot. City Council voted to delay the discussion.

Supporters of recreational marijuana wanted a question on the November ballot, asking voters whether retail marijuana shops should be allowed in Colorado Springs. City council banned the sale of recreational marijuana last July.

Adding the measure to the November ballot would have cost the city between $450,000 and $750,000. According to an El Paso County Clerk and Recorder spokesperson, Colorado legislature says that if an entity puts something on the ballot, it must help pay for the election. The amount is proportionate to the number of voters in the entity.

At Tuesday’s meeting, city council members said they weren’t ready to put a question on November’s ballot. The discussion was delayed with a 7-2 vote. Council members Keith King, Merv Bennett, Don Knight, Helen Collins, Jill Gaebler, Jan Martin and Val Snider voted to delay the vote. Council members Joel Miller and Andy Pico voted not to delay the vote.

Council members will discuss putting the marijuana question on the April ballot, during their August 11 meeting.