Marijuana issue keeps forums lively

Advocates of both sides of the issue adamantly expressed their opinions at three forums held to gather opinions about whether or not the Englewood City Council should lift the ban on retail sales of recreational marijuana. There were a number of speakers who urged the council to keep the ban in place, while others urged the council to lift the ban and take advantage of a source of tax revenue waiting to be tapped. “The staff scheduled these forums at the request of the city council to hear what people had to say on the retail sale of recreational marijuana,” City Manager Eric Keck told those who attended each of the forums. “The city council has held two study sessions and another is planned, but they have made no decision on the issue.” He said some residents and those who operate medical marijuana outlets in Englewood requested that city council again discuss whether to end the ban on recreational marijuana sales. He said the three medical marijuana outlets also indicated that if the ban was lifted, they would seek to set up recreational marijuana sales facilities. Opinion sheets were handed out at each forum. Keck said the opinions on the forms would be transcribed and given to city council members. Several council members attended one or more of the forums. There were 35 people at the first forum on May 31, about 25 at the June 1 forum and about 45 at the June 2 forum. A number of people spoke at all three meetings. The final forum was held June 2 at Hampden Hall. Doug Robinson, a lay preacher at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke against lifting the ban, as did longtime resident Jerry Rae. They agreed that legalizing retail recreational marijuana sales would make it more accessible not only to adults but to children. “Retail recreational marijuana shops is not what I want in my city,” Rae said. Mary Marpole, a recent Regis Jesuit High School graduate, spoke against permitting the shops in Englewood. She said she had spoken against permitting retail recreational sales before Littleton City Council voted not to allow shops in its city, and she urged Englewood to do the same thing. She said her reason for speaking up was that she didn’t want to see easy access to marijuana in either community. Tim Brown, an Englewood resident who will operate the Trees dispensary slated to open on Federal Boulevard near Belleview Avenue, said voters approved Amendment 64 which makes marijuana legal in Colorado. He said Englewood residents who use marijuana simply drive a short distance to another community, make their purchases and bring it home, where they use it. “Englewood council should take steps to establish strong regulations on the shops, permit the sales and collect the revenue,” he said. Scott Marsh spoke in favor of allowing the retail sales at the first forum. “I don’t use marijuana because it is a habit I don’t need,” he said. “I believe marijuana will eventually be legal throughout the nation, so Englewood might as well accept it and take advantage of the tax revenues.” Some speakers also mentioned how Englewood residents have voted on marijuana issues. Records show about 65 percent of the votes cast in Englewood supported the statewide ballot issue legalizing marijuana in 2012. In 2013, the city council put an advisory issue on the ballot, asking whether a ban on the retail sales of recreational marijuana should be put in place. The majority of residents voted against enacting the ban. The vote count was 3,593 votes in favor of the ban and 3,862 votes against it.