Colorado Springs voters spoke in 2022 by trouncing the latest measure to allow recreational marijuana sales. Legalization failed by 16,000 votes, yet they’re at it again pushing a November ballot measure that attempts this horrific proposal again.

Despite the trouncing — in which voters made their intentions perfectly clear — a similar measure gathering petition signatures likely will appear on this year’s November ballot like a petulant child who won’t take “no” for an answer.

To keep it off the ballot, tell petitioners you’d move to Denver if you wanted hundreds of recreational drug dealers with commercial storefronts. If it gets on the ballot, be sure to vote ‘no’ to prevent the Springs from becoming a wannabe Denver.

In many ways, Denver remains a great city full of cultural, artistic, recreational and athletic assets. It was on a march toward world-class stature 15 years ago. Then Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana 12 years ago this November. Denver embraced it, and Colorado Springs’ elected leaders said, “not here.”

Since then, Colorado has seen degradation in the form of soaring crime, hard-drug addictions, homelessness and the desertion of downtown by Coloradans who used to stroll the 16th Street Mall as if they were in Mayberry-on-steroids. It’s not like that today.

Although no one can directly link the pot bonanza with Denver’s devolution into cautionary tale status, one can draw conclusions from the direct correlation. As Colorado Springs has consistently rejected recreational pot, the city has become the envy of mayors across the country.

With the reputation as the old anti-drug fuddy duddy, the Springs in 2022 became the ninth-best performing large city in the country, as ranked by the credible Milken Institute, which cited our skilled workforce, broadband access, defense bases and defense-related corporations. The city has seen impressive growth in technology and manufacturing during the past decade.

As Denver has plummeted in best-of rankings in the past decade, Colorado Springs consistently has topped them.

Much of this results from assuring the Pentagon and private corporations that we don’t view drugs as “recreation.” That means employers have a better chance at attracting drug-free employees. We cannot think of any legitimate company that wants a workforce on pot. We can’t think of an educational institution that wants students high in the classroom, or at home.

Voters should work hard — if this makes the ballot — to take a 16,000-vote drubbing to one much greater. Show that our system works, and there’s no reason to “fix” it. Saying “no” to commercialized drug sales — which naturally encourage pot use — says “yes” to the city’s enviable trajectory.

Two far-more responsible measures, developed by legislative process, deserve public support. The City Council, under the representative form of government that has served Americans well for nearly 250 years, is referring them to the ballot.

One good measure would amend the Springs charter — our city’s constitution — to forbid recreational sales and end the relentless efforts by drug dealers to profit at a cost to the welfare of our community. The other, to add another layer of protection, would prevent retail marijuana sales within a mile of any K-12 school, residential child care facility or addiction treatment center.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, supporting federal legalization, insists he has seen no increase in use by minors since legalization. A responsible parent, the governor should know better. Children lie when asked about drugs. This doesn’t change because adults legalize them.

A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction found marijuana use has increased 24% where legalized. Of course, it affects children as well as adults.

Colorado Springs has, in the past 12 years, become a city to envy. Don’t fix what works. Refuse to sign petitions for legalization and vote yes on the two referendums intended to stop it.

The Gazette Editorial Board