The El Paso County Commission voted 3-2 on Tuesday morning to permanently ban marijuana social clubs from unincorporated areas of the county.
The ban will be written into the El Paso County Land Development Code, and is an amendment to a previous year-long restriction passed last year. While there are no marijuana social clubs in the county’s unincorporated regions, many local advocates and businesses owners came to Tuesday’s meeting to protest the board’s decision, claiming that it unfairly targets an industry that can bring jobs to the county.
Jason Warf, the legislative director for the Southern Colorado Cannabis Council, cautioned the County Commission against the ban, which he said would likely be challenged in court.
“The fact of the matter is, in communities like the Springs where we have unregulated clubs. They exist,” Warf said. “I don’t think your vote ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ will affect this. They will continue to move forward and they will hire attorneys.”
Read more about the ban on marijuana social clubs at Gazette.com.
Map: Colorado recreational marijuana shops and medical dispensaries
