City urged to slow down on medical-marijuana ordinance

The region’s chief prosecutor advised the City Council on Monday to hold off on a proposed ordinance that would regulate the medical marijuana industry in Colorado Springs.

“Until the Legislature passes some laws legalizing some aspects, it would be premature for City Council to necessarily pass ordinances where they may be giving business licenses to people that I may be prosecuting because (the sale of marijuana) still violates state law,” 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May said afterward. “We’re going to know (what state lawmakers are going to do) within the next two months.”

May also asked the council to work with county officials to develop regional regulations.

“It’s imperative that we have a regional ordinance so that what happens in the county happens in the city, so they’re not contrary to one another,” he said.

Meanwhile, Councilman Sean Paige said he wouldn’t file an ethics complaint against May stemming from May’s efforts to close a dispensary in his Rockrimmon neighborhood.

In January, after receiving complaints at home from neighbors, May called the landlord of a dispensary owner to get more information about the business before filing a complaint.

The landlord told Paige he felt intimidated by the call, Paige said.

During the meeting, Paige asked May whether he had “any second thoughts” about his actions.

May said he acted as a concerned citizen, not as the DA, and his only intent with the call was to obtain the correct address and confirm the business was a dispensary.

“I thought our conversation was cordial,” he said. “If I offended him in any way or he felt intimidated in any way, I’d publicly apologize for that. That wasn’t my intent.”

Paige said that he still believes May pushed some boundaries but that he didn’t want the complaint to become a “sideshow.”

“The public will have to determine whose position is correct,” he said.