Fifth Major Public Safety Investment Funded by Recreational Cannabis Tax Heads to Colorado Springs City Council
Colorado Springs, CO — Just over a year after recreational cannabis sales began in Colorado Springs, City Council is poised to consider a fifth major investment in public safety funded by voter-approved recreational marijuana tax revenue.
During its July 13th Work Session, the Colorado Springs City Council will consider allocating $458,000 from the Recreational Marijuana Special 5% Tax Fund to the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority to support enhanced security services in the South Nevada corridor.
The proposal comes as legal recreational cannabis sales continue generating significant new revenue for the City. Since adult-use sales began in mid-April 2025, Colorado Springs has received $5,961,709 in tax revenue generated through regulated cannabis sales.
Revenue generated to date includes:
$3,411,365 deposited into the voter-approved Recreational Marijuana Special 5% Tax Fund which can only fund public safety, mental health services and veteran’s PTSD
$1,820,313 for the City's general fund (state shareback and 2% city sales tax)
$388,893 for road improvements
$272,911 for public safety
$68,227 for Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS)
You can see a detailed accounting of this revenue here.
If approved, the South Nevada security investment would become the latest example of the community benefits generated by regulated cannabis sales.
Earlier this year, Colorado Springs announced that recreational cannabis tax revenue made it possible to restore the City's fire academy after budget constraints had forced its cancellation. The funding covered the training of 36 new firefighters, ensuring the City could continue investing in emergency response despite ongoing budget challenges. Additional cannabis tax revenue has also been identified for investments in police technology, mental health services, veteran support programs, and other public safety priorities.
You can review the previous announcement regarding the funding of the fire academy and the other safety programs here. Additionally, you can see the budget slide presented to the Council on the MJ fund spending as of March 23rd here (it is the last slide).
"This is exactly what voters approved," said Tom Scudder, president of the Colorado Springs Cannabis Alliance. "In just over a year, regulated cannabis sales have generated nearly $6 million in new revenue that is being invested back into Colorado Springs. These dollars are supporting public safety, strengthening neighborhoods, and addressing priorities that otherwise would have competed with the City's already strained budget."
Colorado Springs voters approved recreational marijuana sales in November 2024 while also approving a dedicated 5% retail marijuana tax to fund public safety, mental health services, and support programs for veterans in November 2022. Adult-use sales began in April 2025.
"Every month we're seeing additional evidence that we are delivering real, measurable benefits for the people of Colorado Springs,” Scudder said.
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