Colorado Springs dispensaries mark first year of retail marijuana sales

AI Summary

Colorado Springs businesses that sell marijuana are celebrating one year of legal recreational sales. This has helped the local marijuana industry. It has also brought in money for city projects. Voters agreed to allow these sales in November 2024. The first licenses were given out last April. Businesses say that while they still face challenges, sales have improved. This has brought in new customers. There are now 62 stores selling recreational marijuana and 84 selling medical marijuana in the city. These sales have given the city about $4 million over the past year. An extra tax on recreational marijuana sales has brought in $2.76 million. This money is being used for public safety and programs for veterans with PTSD. The city has used this money to help fund training for the fire department and buy new technology for the police department.