Local Governments in WA and CO Try To Opt Out of Legal Marijuana

Party poopers

Like Coloradans as a whole, voters in Colorado Springs voted to legalize recreational pot last fall. Nonetheless, their city leaders held a packed public meeting Thursday to seek opinions on whether local businesses should be able to sell it.

Colorado Springs, the state's second-largest city with roughly 426,000 residents, is one of numerous municipalities in Colorado that are considering opting out of part of the state's new marijuana law. The legislation allows anyone 21 and older to possess and grow pot in small amounts but also gives local authorities the right to bar pot plantations and stores.

More than two dozen cities and towns, including Calhan and Woodland Park near Colorado Springs, have already prohibited marijuana retail stores, according to the Colorado Municipal League, a lobbying group for the state's cities. Others, like Aurora outside of Denver, decided to postpone a decision on whether to allow sales. In Denver, leaders want to allow pot sales, but have said they want to push back the starting date for new businesses other than medical-pot outlets.