Will Colorado Springs Finally Legalize Medical Marijuana? A Deeper Look

Colorado, along with the state of Washington that same year, was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012. However, the city of Colorado Springs has opted out of the sale of recreational marijuana despite how cannabis-progressive the rest of the state around them has been for years.

While Colorado Springs does allow marijuana to be produced and sold to registered medical marijuana patients through licensed medical dispensaries, they are still battling to keep recreational marijuana out of their town. And while in January of this year, the Colorado Springs city council voted 6-3 to pass the sale of recreational marijuana in the city, residents of the city are unsure if this freedom will last.

Previously, the Colorado Springs council recently cast a second vote regarding the recreational marijuana ordinance in September of 2024. However, several complicated ballot issues could make permanent recreational marijuana legalization very challenging for dispensaries even if it became legal.

Colorado and Colorado Springs’ History with Cannabis

Colorado has a long and storied history with marijuana. While California was the first state to legalize medical cannabis in 1996, just a few years later, the state established a Colorado medical marijuana program through a ballot measure in 2000.

Twelve years later, in 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. Now, adults 21 and over can possess up to one ounce of recreational marijuana and grow up to six plants privately. But despite being one of the first states to legalize cannabis both medically and recreationally, one city in Colorado decided to push back on this—and continue to do so even today.

The Voting Hurdles to Finally Legalize Marijuana Recreationally in Colorado Springs

In 2000, Colorado Springs, along with the rest of the state of Colorado, legalized medical marijuana. This allowed medical marijuana patients to possess up to 2 ounces of medical marijuana and grow up to six plants, with three mature flowering plants at a time being the maximum.

Despite the legalization of recreational marijuana use throughout Colorado, the state left it up to the individual cities to decide whether they would allow the sale of recreational marijuana in their jurisdiction. There are only a few cities in Colorado that still forbid these recreational sales despite the rest of the state’s legal status.

The city council in Colorado Springs, which is the state’s second-largest city, voted 5-4 against allowing these shops in the past. This banning of recreational marijuana shops was officially enacted in 2013. The council decided against the sale of recreational marijuana at that time,e potentially due to its five military bases, conservative politics, and religious views.

Since then, many in the town have wanted to change that ban and have pushed back on this policy over the years — as recently as last month. While the Colorado Springs City Council voted 6-3 to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, they also approved a vote in spring 2025 to potentially repeal the ordinance, sparking debate among residents who argue the decision should respect the will of voters.

Though the city government seems to disapprove of recreational cannabis sales, many within this government are considering the sales tax revenue they are missing out on that is currently enriching the other cities across Colorado. In fact, the state has raked in over $2 billion in marijuana tax revenue to date, with Denver bringing in $500 million of that sum. This revenue has allowed the city to give back to things like monitoring the health effects of marijuana, health education, substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, and recreation centers.

Other towns in the Colorado suburbs, like Aurora, have pulled in millions in tax revenue annually from recreational marijuana and used this money to fund projects for the homeless.

Though recreational cannabis sales are tentatively legal right now, as recently as September 2024, the Colorado Springs City Council voted 7-2 in favor of a city code and de facto zoning ordinance that would modify it and prevent most of the city from being able to sell recreationally regardless. The zoning ordinance would have preemptively prevented marijuana facilities from selling recreational cannabis within a mile of K-13 schools. The January 2025 vote narrowed this distance down to 1,000 feet, making it a little more accessible for dispensaries to operate.

Claims That Colorado Springs Council Has Used to Deter Recreational Marijuana

City leaders in Colorado Springs have frequently made claims that legalizing recreational marijuana would harm the city’s relationship with national security and the military community.

However, according to legal experts, these concerns are not likely to carry much weight considering the precedence recreational marijuana cities set with their relationships with other military and defense operations around the county.

The owner of the National Security Law Firm, Brett O’Brien, also weighed in on these claims. “I don’t believe that the marijuana laws are going to impact the business decisions of both the federal government and private entities,” O’Brien had said. “The federal government and private businesses, they want the best talent, and they’re going to go to where the best talent is.”

He also mentioned that it would be very difficult to find land and financially pay for a move of the military post, installation, local talent, etc. In other words, the claims have even less weight as this big of a move would be unlikely based solely on recreational marijuana becoming legal in the jurisdiction.

As for local jurisdictions similar to Colorado Springs, such as El Paso County’s Manitou Springs and Palmer Lake, both have recreational dispensaries open without these issues.

Final Takeaways

Despite ongoing resistance from city leaders, the push for recreational marijuana sales in Colorado Springs reflects broader statewide trends and economic incentives. While the city council has taken steps to allow dispensaries, the upcoming 2025 vote introduces uncertainty, leaving businesses and residents in limbo. With millions in potential tax revenue at stake and little evidence supporting claims of harm to the city’s military ties, the debate over legalization is far from over. Whether Colorado Springs fully embraces recreational cannabis or continues its restrictive stance, the outcome will set a precedent for local governance in the face of voter demand.