Colorado Springs voters reject recreational marijuana; Palmer Lake, Cripple Creek also vote on pot

Nov. 8—Voters rejected recreational marijuana sales in Colorado Springs, allowed them in Palmer Lake and it was too close to call in Cripple Creek, in early returns Tuesday night.

In Colorado Springs it was a victory for recreational marijuana opponents with 57% of city voters opposing a measure that would have allowed existing medical marijuana shops to transition to selling recreational cannabis if they choose.

Voters approved a special 5% tax on recreational marijuana sales in the city, with 52% of voters supporting the tax. The revenue from the tax would have funded veterans services, mental health supports and public safety. The city would have distributed those funds to other agencies because it does not provide them directly.

In Palmer Lake, the vote was 55% to 45% in favor of allowing the two existing medical marijuana shops to transition to recreational sales.

While in Cripple Creek, the race was too close to call. It was failing 90 votes to 81 close to 10 p.m. The question was is also tied to additional taxes and fees that must be approved for new shops to open, which were also failing, 102 votes to 68.

Mayor John Suthers said initial polling showed the marijuana question in Colorado Springs would pass by a significant margin, but a voter education campaign on high potency marijuana and its connection to homelessness was highly effective and helped change minds particularly among those over 40 years old.

"I am very proud of the voters. I think they are very discerning," he said.

He said the defeat of recreational marijuana sales would put the city on a better trajectory and help avoid some of the negative impacts that Denver has seen. He also expected medical marijuana shops in town to close in the coming years.

The opposition to the marijuana question in Colorado Springs saw a flood of spending late in the campaign season with a committee called Colorado Springs Safe Neighborhood Coalition raising $721,000 to oppose the question and spending $695,900 on it, campaign filings with the city show. A large portion of the spending, at least $350,000, went into television ads. The campaign also spent heavily on digital and radio ads, as well as door-to-door canvassing. The committee had not reported any fundraising or spending until Nov. 4.

Proponents of the marijuana question raised about $376,016.57 and spent about $308,140 on the campaign. The campaign spent at least $194,500 on television and media ads, city campaign filings show. Proponents of the question also expected medical marijuana shops to close if the questions didn't pass because of a new state law limiting the quantity of medical marijuana concentrate that can be purchased in one day, revising the limit down from 40 grams to 8 grams, among other changes.

In Palmer Lake, after voters defeated a string of questions asking to legalize recreational marijuana sales in recent years, the sales finally won voter approval.

Dino Salvatori, owner of Palmer Lake Wellness Center, a medical marijuana shop, called the victory in Palmer Lake "surreal" after a handful of losses. This time the message was focused on needed revenue for the town and Salvatori said he felt that made the difference.

"Everybody stuck to the message and made it about revenue," he said.

Town board members sent the marijuana question to voters to help support basic services. The community tied the marijuana question to its property tax question, promising if they both passed that property tax increases would be far lower. In a previous election, a special tax on recreational marijuana was approved that will contribute to town coffers.

The property tax failed in Palmer Lake, meaning the town will likely have to work harder on economic development to support the quality of life that people expect, such as snow plowing, said Darin Dawson, an outgoing town board member.

"Can we still be us but raise our economic standing a little bit so we can (be) more self sufficient?" he asked.

In Cripple Creek, the question was backed by the Cripple Creek Casino Association to help diversify the town's revenue so the community wouldn't have to rely so heavily on the casinos, said Kyle Blakely, a spokesman for the campaign. Ahead of early returns Blakely said he didn't have any polling to rely on to show how the small electorate was feeling.

The town tied a question asking voters to raise taxes and fees on marijuana to another question allowing for marijuana shops to open. At about 10 p.m., the additional taxes and fees were failing by 34 votes.

The question that would allow for two medical marijuana shop licenses and two recreational shop licenses was also failing 90 votes to 81 votes, in early returns.

Blakely said he expected hundreds of more votes to be tallied in town based on the last gubernatorial race and those could swing the outcome.