Colorado Springs voters could decide whether to allow recreational cannabis sales in the city next April — if, that is, pro-pot and anti-pot city leaders can find some common ground first. Recreational cannabis sales are currently banned in the Springs because of a city council vote last year, but in recent months councilwoman Jill Gaebler has been working to get a measure on the April 2015 ballot that would give voters the chance to repeal that ban. Her goal was to have council approve the proposal on August 11; if it failed then, she said, the public would still have time to collect enough signatures for a citizen initiative.
But two weeks ago, when the measure was brought up at a city council meeting, councilman Keith King threw a wrench in the works by demanding a 10 percent special city tax be included in the proposal. The tax would come on top of the 10 percent special state sales tax, the regular 2.9 percent state sales tax, the 1.23 percent El Paso County tax and the existing 2.5 percent Colorado Springs sales tax, bringing the total to more than 26 percent tax on a bag of herb.