The old saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed then try, try again.”

Proponents of recreational marijuana know the definition well.

More than three years after the passage of Amendment 64 and more than two years living under a municipal ban of recreational marijuana in Littleton, proponents of pot – and the tax windfall that comes with it – won a victory this week.

In a 4-3 vote Tuesday night, the Littleton City Council moved one step closer to lifting its ban on recreational pot, a product made legal through Amendment 64 in 2012.

City leaders voted in support of a motion to allow the issue of retail pot sales to head back to a study session to be examined further – an action that pot proponents support.

Council members also agreed to examine the possibility of allowing recreational pot to be sold in stores that already offer medical marijuana in Littleton, the premise being that existing shops already familiar with the state’s pot laws would be well-poised to handle the transition to recreational sales.

Other issues to be studied include how other municipalities have dealt with legalization, the potential impact on public parks, methods for law enforcement to accurately measure intoxication in a manner similar to alcohol, and how schools in other municipalities have handled the popularity of edibles among youth.

The move to allow further study on the issue is significant because the city council had previously rushed to impose a ban on recreational pot in 2013 without giving the community any opportunity to experiment with legalization. The city council then voted again to uphold the ban in 2014.

The city council had taken its stance against pot despite the fact that 51 percent of Littleton residents actually voted in favor of Amendment 64. 

Littleton voters also supported two other previous marijuana measures.

In 2000, they voted for Amendment 20 which authorized the use of medical marijuana. In 2013, they voted overwhelmingly 64 percent to 36 percent in favor of Ballot Issue 2E which authorized an additional 3 percent sales tax on the retail sale of marijuana.

Now, proponents have brought into the forefront the long-running debate over whether constituents ought to receive the tax revenue for which they voted.

Proponents say it is high time for residents to reap the benefits.

Business professionals, medical marijuana store owners and members of the Historic Downtown Littleton Merchants Association lined up to testify in city council chambers where they shared their public safety records, reports of zero complaints from law enforcement and growing community support for the industry.

Garrett Graff, an attorney with Hoban and Feola who represents the marijuana industry on local, national and international levels, testified that Littleton residents have voted for it not once, not twice, but three times now. He said the time has come to lift the ban.

“The future is in retail marijuana,” Graff said.

Kyle Speidell, a member of the South Metro Chamber of Commerce and member of the Littleton Downtown Merchants Association, pointed to successful cases of other municipalities such as Wheat Ridge that have lifted their ban on marijuana. He said Littleton ought to use that as a guide for transition.

Eric Speidell, CEO of TGS Management and owner of The Green Solution on South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton, testified that in the five years they’ve been in business, they have not had a single complaint. He welcomes working with the city council on a solution for transitioning to retail sales.

Speidell, who owns 11 marijuana shops in Colorado and many more across the nation said he is “thankful the city is willing to look at the value of bringing recreational marijuana to its citizens after implementing a ban more than one year ago.”

Speidell agreed with Graff and others who testified about the fiscal benefits of sales and said it is an idea whose time has come.

“We are optimistic the city council will find that recreational marijuana allows safe access to adults in the city while ensuring that much-needed tax revenue remains in the community,” he said. “We look forward to working with the city council and staff on the study session and ultimately, lifting the ban.”

– jennifer@coloradostatesman.com