Voters in Colorado Springs are deciding in November whether or not or to not permit sale of leisure marijuana inside metropolis limits for the primary time.
Challenge 301 units up a framework for taxing leisure marijuana gross sales if residents legalize the business via Question 300.
Right here’s the language you’ll see on the poll:
Shall metropolis taxes be elevated $5,600,000 yearly starting January 1, 2023, and by no matter quantities are raised in years thereafter, by growing the speed of gross sales tax on the gross sales of retail/leisure marijuana inside the Metropolis of Colorado Springs by a price of 5%, solely for the aim of funding public security packages, psychological well being companies, and publish–traumatic stress dysfunction therapy packages for veterans; and shall town be permitted to gather, retain and spend all revenues derived therefrom as a voter–authorized income change and exception to any constitutional, statutory and metropolis constitution income and spending limitations which can in any other case apply?
_____ Yes/for the initiated ordinance
_____ No/in opposition to the initiated ordinance
How wouldn’t it work?
The Colorado cities which have legalized leisure marijuana have put the tax {dollars} generated from its sale towards differing types of group priorities. In close by Manitou Springs, for instance, that cash has gone to town’s City Renewal Authority to permit for tasks like burying town’s utility strains.
This subject requires Colorado Springs particularly put the tax cash from leisure marijuana (ought to it develop into legalized via Query 300) particularly and “solely for the aim of funding public security packages, psychological well being companies, and post-traumatic stress dysfunction therapy packages for veterans.”
Who’s for it?
Organizers of the citizen-led course of which introduced the legalization query to the poll used this accompanying taxation measure to reply among the most typical critiques of leisure marijuana — opponents declare the business has led to elevated crime, substance abuse and homelessness.
Supporters say leisure marijuana is getting used within the Springs proper now, even when it was bought in different communities. These in favor of those poll measures typically dispute the claims that elevated crime or homelessness in Colorado are a direct results of the hashish business. But, they argue with this taxation plan, at the very least some new funding shall be funneled towards serving to clear up these points.
Who’s in opposition to it?
These most vocally in opposition to Challenge 301 often are lumping it in with their opposition to the general legalization subject, Query 300. Nonetheless, in its recently passed resolution opposing the measures, the Colorado Springs Metropolis Council stated:
“…in 2020 marijuana tax income made up lower than one p.c of
State of Colorado’s Finances. The proponents of the poll initiative have cited elevated tax revenues that might profit the Metropolis of Colorado Springs; nonetheless, the associated fee to our Public Security departments of enforcement might exceed the income collected.”