Colorado Springs advocacy group working to get marijuana vote on November ballot

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs is one step closer to potentially legalizing recreational marijuana thanks to a petition that's garnered nearly 100,000 signatures.

The petition, created by the marijuana advocacy group Your Choice Colorado Springs, is meant to get the issue of legalizing marijuana in Colorado Springs on the November ballot.

The group says Colorado Springs is missing out on millions in tax revenue. The group estimates the city has lost $150 million in tax revenue over the last ten years.

According to the group, between $10 million and $15 million is lost to nearby cities that have already moved forward with legalizing recreational marijuana. That includes Pueblo and Manitou Springs.

Friday, members of the group walked into the Colorado Springs Clerk's Office with thousands of petition signatures in dozens of totes. The group says they garnered over 2.5 times as many signatures as was necessary.

The group says the amount of signatures they collected sends a strong message of support for their cause to the city officials. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers has long since been against the efforts to legalize cannabis here.

The El Paso County Clerk now has 30 days to verify the nearly 100,000 signatures.