Colorado Springs moratorium on medical marijuana shops would hurt 'thousands'

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Medical marijuana centers in Colorado Springs, being eyed by the City Council for a six-month moratorium, brought in $2 million in city sales tax and license fees last year.

Sales tax revenue skyrocketed from $110,765 in 2009 to $1.49 million last year. And money from license fees is at $528,750 this year, compared with $226,000 in all of 2010. The city also picked up nearly $7,000 over the past five years from marijuana business personal property taxes collected by El Paso County.

But that's all small potatoes compared with the millions spent on leases, super-secure construction, extensive renovations, video cameras and 40-day backup video, motion detectors, employee salaries and benefits, armed guards and "product," i.e. medical marijuana.

The council's proposal would ban more medical marijuana centers and growers from opening in the city for six months.

Council members OK'd such a ban on cannabis clubs Sept. 22, but they punted...

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