John Schroyer
At least seven localities in Colorado and Rhode Island voted down recreational marijuana sales measures on Election Day this week, another display signaling the cannabis industry still has inroads to make – even in states that have longstanding markets.
In Colorado Springs – the second-largest city by population in Colorado – voters rejected Question 300, which would have legalized adult-use marijuana sales in the city.
Though medical marijuana sales have been allowed in the conservative bastion for years, the city council in 2013 opted out of recreational sales after voters legalized marijuana statewide in 2012. The adult-use sales ban has been in place ever since, but until this year, voters hadn’t had a chance to decide the issue.
In Rhode Island, despite the state’s 16-year-old medical marijuana industry, half a dozen towns rejected ballot measures that would have permitted adult-use cannabis sales. Those included Barrington, East Greenwich, Jamestown, Little Compton, Scituate, and Smithfield, ABC 6 reported.
That move followed Rhode Island’s legalization of recreational marijuana in May, when Gov. Dan McKee signed the Rhode Island Cannabis Act into law. That law gave localities a similar option as many other states, including Colorado: to decide for themselves whether to approve or ban adult use sales.
Another 25 towns in Rhode Island opted into the industry, by contrast, which will result in plenty of options for consumers. These include:
- Bristol
- Burrillville
- Charlestown
- Coventry
- Cumberland
- East Providence
- Glocester
- Hopkinton
- Johnston
- Lincoln
- Middletown
- Narragansett
- New Shoreham
- Newport
- North Kingstown
- North Providence
- North Smithfield
- Richmond
- South Kingstown
- Tiverton
- Warren
- West Greenwich
- West Warwick
- Westerly
- Woonsocket
