Pueblo voters to decide on retail pot sales tax

Pueblo voters will soon decide whether to approve a sales tax on recreational marijuana.

Pueblo City Council has banned the sale of retail pot, but that could change if a 4.3 percent sales tax passes in November. Council plans to discuss whether to allow those stores if voters approve the tax.

Councilman Steve Nawrocki said it’s important to have a tax in place to pay for any unintended consequences of retail pot sales.

“You know, already we are struggling just to be able to balance our budget the way it is and enforce the ordinances that we have right now,” Nawrocki said. “Any enforcement that we have to do in another area we’re gonna need additional revenue for that.”

Pueblo County has implemented a similar tax as the one facing city voters in November. Last year, voters in the county approved a 3.5 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana. That tax has generated nearly $370,000 into the county’s coffers. In all, more than $10 million worth of recreational marijuana has been sold in the county since January.

The figure surprised Pueblo County Commissioner Terry Hart. “We underestimated, had no idea what was going to happen. That definitely is a higher number than what I expected,” he said.

Erin Schierling owns Steel City Meds, a medical marijuana dispensary in Pueblo West. He’s attempting to open a medical store on the south side of Pueblo, and hopes that eventually he can also operate a recreational shop there.

“Pueblo West seems to have a problem. They don’t like all of us out there. It would definitely allow for places that want to open here another outlet,” Schierling said.

Pueblo City Council has not announced when it will vote on whether to allow retail marijuana shops.