Cannabis community asks council to keep clubs open
City Council hosted a town hall on Tuesday night to gather input from the public before voting on the fate of cannabis clubs in Colorado Springs.
Currently, cannabis clubs operate in a gray area of the law. The clubs ask members to pay a fee, and in return, customers receive marijuana. Cannabis club owners argue the clubs offer a safe place for residents and tourists to smoke marijuana because it’s banned from public consumption.
Federal and local authorities executed a search warrant at the Lazy Lion, a cannabis club in east-central Colorado Springs, in late January.
However, City Council member Don Knight recently proposed a ban that would close down cannabis clubs. Clubs that are currently in operation would be grandfathered in, but would eventually have to close down after a period of years.
Ambe Racek owns Studio 64. Her staff organized a march from the cannabis club to the steps of City Hall.
“We organized it to show the city, we’re serious about this and we aren’t going to take their bullying or their discrimination anymore. They don’t have any reason to close us down. We haven’t given them any reason to feel like we are a harm to the community or anything like that,” said Racek.
At the meeting, dozens of people spoke up in favor of cannabis clubs. Paul Seeling was one of only a few who voiced concerns about the clubs.
“If we want our society to be a city that attracts virtuous businesses and high tech industry, etc. this is not the way to do it. And it’s proven over time, over and over again, to be very detrimental to the health of children,” said Seeling.
Racek and several other business owners challenged City Council members to stop by their clubs before making a decision.
“I really wish they would just see the space and come in and hang out with us. Because I promise you if they did, they wouldn’t leave with the same opinion because it’s not possible. We are good people. We are doing the right thing. And we help a lot of people here. I think the city needs to respect that,” said Racek.
Knight said he listened to the testimony, but will still vote against cannabis clubs in two weeks.
City Council will vote on March 8. If council decides not to ban the clubs, then members will vote on zoning ordinances for businesses.
