The Colorado Springs City Council approved a resolution opposing two November ballot questions that would legalize the sale of recreational marijuana in town and add a special sales tax of 5% to those sales.

The council split on the symbolic resolution voting 6 to 3 to approve it after hearing from interested residents, who also were split on the issue.

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If approved, Question 300 would allow the city’s existing 114 medical marijuana stores to convert. Question 301 asks voters to approve a special sales tax on recreational marijuana that would fund public safety, veterans services and mental health programs.

Dr. Kenneth Finn, who worked on marijuana issues at the state level, cautioned against marijuana in general, saying it is poorly regulated and poorly tested.

“We are going to add another addiction-for-profit industry,” he said.

Proponents noted that recreational marijuana already is  readily available in Manitou Springs, Pueblo and Denver and this would just allow Colorado Springs to benefit from taxing recreational sales.

Councilman Wayne Williams noted that if the question passed, neighbors of the existing medical marijuana dispensaries would have no say in whether they converted to recreational sales, bypassing the land-use process in place for other more sensitive businesses.

Councilmembers Bill Murray and Yolanda Avila noted the City Council had the opportunity to write regulations for recreational marijuana sales as part of a larger ballot question to legalize them. But the board has repeatedly declined.

“I have asked this council to specific address this issue and put it on the ballot, and this council has specifically refused,” Murray said.

Councilwoman Nancy Henjum, Murray and Avila all opposed the resolution.

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