Voters in Colorado Springs are poised on Nov. 5 to decide once and for all if recreational marijuana sales will be permitted locally — though possibly only in limited areas — or banned by charter.

The resident-backed Citizens for Responsible Marijuana campaign proposes authorizing the sale of retail cannabis in municipal boundaries, allowing only the city’s approximately 90 existing medical marijuana shops to also opt into selling marijuana recreationally.

An estimated $10 million to $15 million in revenues would support public safety, mental health services and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment programs for veterans.

At the same time, a City Council-backed question proposes prohibiting recreational marijuana stores in the city charter, effectively banning them from operating locally.

Voters would only be able to change city charter through another public vote.

If both questions passed, which is unlikely, city attorneys said the charter amendment would take precedence.

In 2022, the last time residents decided on recreational marijuana sales, 57% of voters said no.

In that same election, residents in Palmer Lake and Cripple Creek legalized recreational marijuana sales in those municipalities. Recreational marijuana is also sold in Manitou Springs, Denver, Pueblo and other cities across the state.

Those opposed to authorizing retail cannabis sales in Colorado Springs have touched on the potential harms of marijuana and the importance of keeping it out of the hands of underage users.

They have also said outlawing recreational marijuana sales could further solidify Colorado Springs’ designation as the permanent headquarters of Space Command.

Federal and local officials last summer announced the command would remain in Colorado Springs, ending a years-long fight by Colorado officials to keep it from moving to Huntsville, Ala.

Supporters who want to authorize retail sales have pushed back against claims about its potential health risks while also touting its economic benefits for marijuana retailers and the community as a whole.

Before residents could cast their votes this fall, the City Council appears to have preemptively limited where recreational marijuana shops may operate in the city, if retail sales are ever authorized.

In late September, the council voted to prohibit facilities that sell recreational cannabis from operating within 1 mile of K-12 schools and residential child care and drug or alcohol treatment facilities.

Proponents of recreational sales and other city leaders who did not support the zoning ordinance said it de-facto bans retail marijuana sales because shops will be limited to operating only on the city’s east side. A city-provided map showed how the current locations of all medical marijuana shops in Colorado Springs do not comply with the 1-mile buffer rule.

Supporters of the 1-mile buffer said it will better keep marijuana away from underage users.

The citizen-backed campaign instead proposes prohibiting recreational marijuana shops from operating within 1,000 feet of schools and other facilities.

Though discussion at recent public meetings operated under the understanding that the 1-mile buffer will take precedence over the zoning requirements in the resident-backed question, the City Attorney’s Office has not yet been able to provide a clear answer.

“The Planning Department would need to evaluate each request for a new license to ensure compliance with zoning and licensing requirements in the city code,” city spokesman Max D’Onofrio said in late September.